K.J. Lacey dives into the reasons behind his Texas commitment

On the latest edition of On Texas Football, Bobby Burton, Blake Munroe, and Gerry Hamilton interview the Longhorns newest commitment, four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey from Saraland, Ala.

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Lacey, who is 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, committed to Texas over the weekend on an unofficial visit. He is listed as the No. 80 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and is considered one of the top three quarterbacks in the Class of 2025. 

“Some people project Lacey will end up in the top one or two quarterbacks in the country when all said and done,” Hamilton said. “K.J. actually got in to Austin Friday with his family and toured the facilities. He had been on campus for the Spring game and he was in town for 7 on 7. 

“He went to dinner with (Texas coach Steve) Sarkisian, (quarterbacks coach AJ) Milwee, Arch Manning and some of those guys Friday night. He told Sarkisian after that dinner that he was committing to Texas. He is the first commitment for 2025 and what a way to start.”

Lacey went 200-for-314 passing last season for 3,177 yards and 40 touchdowns with just five interceptions while leading Saraland to the Alabama 6A state championship.

“Texas has never to my knowledge signed anybody out of Mobile, Alabama in football,” Hamilton said. “So like Cedric Baxter last year, the No. 1 running back in the country out of Florida had never signed with Texas. K.J. Lacey in 2025, if things hold serve here will be the first prospect from Mobile to sign.”

Lacey joined the group for a 10-minute segment where he talked about why he committed to the Longhorns when he had been courted by so many others, the process of his recruitment, his leadership, presence, playing style, and strengths.

“I really didn’t know anything about them while they were at Alabama,” Lacey said of the UT coaches. “I just started learning about them after I got the offer. My coach sent me Coach Milwee’s number. I called him, then we just started building our relationship from there, picking out a day to call and what time, that part. A couple weeks into me calling him and every thing, he gave me a number and said ‘this is our head coach. Call Coach Sark.’ I FaceTimed him, and that’s when he offered me.”

On the commitment, Lacey said he was swayed by the love that Sarkisian and Milwee showed him.

“That was one of the main things, and you know, Austin, it’s beautiful out there,” Lacey explained. “So that was a huge factor on everything. Coach Sark being the offensive mastermind he is with quarterbacks and all that that played like a really big part. So that kind of I guess it kind of made me lean towards that way.”

Lacey said he really likes the relationships he’s built with the Longhorns’ coaches and that was one of the biggest reasons behind his commitment.  

“I feel comfortable being around them, to be honest,” he said. “Like I know when I get up there, they’ll look out for me. It just won’t be the type of thing that when I get up there that everything starts over with our relationship. Everything is gonna keep on going once I get to Texas.”

How would Lacey describe his playing style?

“I’m a pass-first type of quarterback,” Lacey said. “If I have to run, I’ll run it. Most times, if I’m going and I see somebody downfield, I’m going to throw the ball.”

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During the 2022 6A Alabama state championship game, Saraland had to survive a comeback attempt from its opponent. Lacey described how he navigated “the most intense game I’ve ever played in.”

Lacey showed maturity beyond his years, encouraging his teammates and helping lead his team to a state championship in a competitive football state.

Lacey received a number of congratulations for his decision, including a lot from those same Saraland teammates.

“I got a whole lot of phone calls, a whole lot of texts, Instagram, Snapchat, all of that,” Lacey said. “Everyone was just congratulating me on that part. We’re all like a really big family. Whenever somebody gets an offer or commits, everyone is quick to retweet or repost, text, call. That was really good right there.”

Lacey and those teammates now have the target on their back after taking home the state title. Lacey spoke about what he’ll do in order to make sure his teammates are aware of the pressure on them now.

“Making sure no one gets comfortable. We’ve done a really good job of that. Every day after we work out and after practice, Coach (Jeff) Kelly gives us a speech or somebody on the team gives us a speech… making sure no one is slacking because it’s really easy to start slacking once you’re on top.”

Lacey is the first member of Texas’ 2025 class.