Texas native and one-time Oklahoma commit Jase McClellan talks returning home to face Longhorns
The state of Texas has been a recruiting hotbed for Alabama head coach Nick Saban, pulling plenty of prospects over the past few years. Now, they will be returning home on Saturday when the Crimson Tide faces off against the Texas Longhorns. One of those players is running back Jase McClellan, originally from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
McClellan was asked to reflect on his recruitment, where Texas was involved. However, he was originally a long-time Oklahoma commit before Alabama got him to flip. Of course, there were some family members who wanted him to sign with the Longhorns but McClellan chose to join the SEC program.
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“My family members that were Texas fans wanted me to go to Texas and everything but Alabama was just the best place for me,” McClellan said.
McClellan was a top 50 prospect coming out of high school with a lengthy offer list. He was the No. 6 running back in the 2020 recruiting class per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services. Within the state, McClellan was No. 6 overall.
Jase McClellan to have family in attendance
McClellan comes out of Aledo High School, a program with a long, rich history of winning state championships. Being just west of Fort Worth, there should be some family members in attendance at Darrell K-Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on Friday. If coming from the Aledo area, it should only be about a three-hour drive down south.
“It’s fun,” McClellan said about his family being in attendance. “Most of my family members can see the game. More intent, more in tune with it. I think more of them can come.”
Seeing McClellan on the field was not something his family had the opportunity to do much of last season, missing time with an injury. McClellan returned to action against Utah State last week, rushing for 23 yards on five carries.
The moment should be even better for the running back, going up against the hometown Longhorns. If he has anything left in his soul from his Oklahoma commitment as well, Saturday could be a special moment for McClellan and his entire family.