'21 QB Jalen Milroe commits to Texas

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With two 2020 QBs locked up, Tom Herman and Tim Beck scoured both the state and nation for their signal-caller in the next class and found what they were looking for just outside Houston.

2021 Katy Tompkins four-star QB Jalen Milroe committed to Texas today over competing offers from Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Northwestern, Oregon, and Texas A&M.

Eric Nahlin on Milroe: Before last season, Katy Tompkins high school had won a grand total of five varsity games in its existence. After a 2018 season that saw Todd McVey’s Falcons play three weeks into the playoffs, the Katy ISD program was up to 15 total wins. Last year’s 10-3 mark was a breakout for the program. The school finally had a solid pool of seniors, juniors, and sophomores to pull from. This year, prospects for the season look even brighter. 

Prospects is used in both its primary and secondary meaning. With Jalen Milroe, Tunmise Adeleye, and other players who will become better known this season, the program looks to go even deeper into the playoffs than last year. Milroe, the junior-to-be quarterback, is the straw that stirs the drink, or as family friend and former Oklahoma defensive back Marvin Shoulders has long called him, the Mil-ticket. 

That nickname might be a bit over-the-top for how the Milroe family is wired, but it’s also telling of his vast upside and ability at an early age.
It’s that humble, hard-working demeanor that’s perhaps most impressive about the 16-year-old. Kudos to his parents, Quinten and Lola, for how they’ve raised him. You’ll see what I mean through his own words.

IT: You just completed your commitment video where you revealed to family, friends, and teammates that you’re going to Texas. How does it feel?

JM: It feels amazing, just knowing the work it took to get to this point, it wasn’t easy. It took hard work and early mornings to get here. Prepping with my dad since I was four years old to get to this moment. I dreamt of playing college football and now having the opportunity to seize that moment is amazing to me. I want to thank the coaching staff at Texas for believing in my skill-set and abilities to further my academic and athletic career. I just want to thank my parents as well for the many sacrifices they made, my family for the many sacrifices they made as well. I’m really enjoying this moment and just really excited.

IT: Texas only offered last month and here we are five weeks or so after, how did it come down to Texas?

JM: Me and Coach Beck we had been talking all spring; building the relationship, talking over the phone. I went down to UT and talked to him. I was able to hear his coaching style. I looked at the philosophy of the program and how things are going. I like Coach Beck, I like Coach Herman. I like how Coach Herman is on and off the field. For me, the best thing about Texas is it’s at home. My family will be able to come see me play. What I also liked about Texas is the program itself and what Texas has for its athletes. 

IT: What kind of player is Texas getting?

JM: They’re going to get a player who’s gritty, who’s always looking to workout. Never complacent. I’m going to keep my head on straight. The little things I can improve on I’ll work on. I’m coachable and hard-working.

IT: You live in a talented area with a lot of Texas targets. There’s a great picture floating around of you playing youth football with Tunmise Adeleye, your high school teammate, as well as Hayden Conner and Bryce Foster from Katy Taylor. Who are you going to start recruiting?

JM [grinning]: I’m trying to work on all three. I’m trying to get as many guys needed for Texas in the program. I’m really trying to build something special at Texas and get the guys the coaches want.

Jalen’s response to the question ‘what kind of player is Texas getting?’ really sets his floor as a player while also offering insight into his ceiling. His natural gifts are evident on tape or from the stands, but when given the chance to talk about what he brings to the table he talks about work ethic rather than his uncommon physical traits. From that we can glean he’s going to work on all facets of the game, from learning the playbook and applying it on the field, to the demanding fundamentals of becoming a consistent passer. 

Not only does he work with his coaches in-season and during the spring, but also with quarterback skills developer Brad Wilson Stanfield, the same coach who has worked with 2020 Texas commit Hudson Card since he was in junior high.

In getting to know Milroe through the lens of those who know him well, whether it be talking to sources in high school or the college ranks, his work ethic and intangibles were more consistently mentioned than anything else. I’ve often mentioned Jamal Adams and Sam Ehlinger as the most competitive players I’ve covered but it might be time to make room for one more. It’s no wonder the Texas coaches have deemed Milroe such a great program fit.

The well-built 6-foot-3, 195 pound quarterback is rated a composite four-star with a lofty .9651 rating. The staff is proving to be more aggressive in these early stages than in cycles past and having an engaging QB1 like Milroe committed will only help those efforts.

Ian Boyd on Milroe: Milroe is not likely to move on from QB in my estimation, either he’d get the nod at Texas or else transfer for another opportunity elsewhere. While he has some explosiveness to his game that I think we’ll see improve as he approaches his eventual college weight of 220, he’s a lot more than just a good and physical athlete. Milroe has a strong arm and a lot of natural accuracy despite mechanics that will likely see some transformation when he starts to receive college coaching. He can hit some targets outside the hash marks and throws a solid deep ball when he’s leading receivers over the middle or down the field. Like Ehlinger, Milroe has some toughness and willingness to take the ball between the tackles and rushed for over 600 yards as a sophomore with highlights trucking defenders coming downhill. If he can show good decision-making and command of the offense then his array of skills will make for a really impressive foundation for the Tom Herman offense.

Milroe is the third member of Texas’ 2021 class joining Lake McRee (Lake Travis), and Quaydarius Davis (Dallas Skyline).