Texas Football: Longhorns' Recruiting Wish List For Quarterbacks in 2021
With so many intangibles that go into the position, scouting, evaluating and recruiting quarterbacks may be the hardest job in college football.
The Longhorns have been steadily trying to improve the depth of the position since Tom Herman arrived as the team's head coach.
Each one of Herman's recruiting classes has featured at least two quarterbacks. While some have transferred out (Cameron Rising) and others have found homes at new positions (Roschon Johnson), a chart that features Sam Ehlinger, Casey Thompson and Hudson Card would indicate the position's immediate future is in good shape. However, a coach is never done stocking up on talent and the battle to land the best passers in the 2021 class is in full effect.
Let's have a look at where Texas stands with 2021 quarterbacks.
Committed
Jalen Milroe, Katy Thompkins
The Longhorns have a strong verbal commit from one of the most dynamic dual-threat passers in the 2021 class in Katy Thompkins' Jalen Milroe.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound signal-caller has been committed to Texas since June 19 of last year. He has offers from Alabama, Florida, Oregon and Florida State among others. Milroe is the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback, No. 11 player in the state of Texa sand No. 79 overall athlete in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
Watching his film: It's easy to see why Milroe is so highly coveted. He's got a huge arm and elite speed and athleticism. While the measurables get people's attention, it's the intangibles that stand out. It's rare to see a quarterback as highly developed mentally as Milroe already is at his age. He runs through progressions and uses his physical gifts to buy time in the pocket and let receivers get open downfield. He throws just as accurately on the run as he does after a typical dropback.
He'll probably have to fill out his frame a little more at the next level to better protect himself, but there's no reason Milroe couldn't compete sooner rather than later for playing time once Sam Ehlinger's time at Texas is up.
Where Texas stands: Milroe has received attention from other schools, but his actions seem to indicate he's solid in his decision to come to Texas. He has taken on a role as a leader in this year's class and works to get other athletes to follow him to the Forty Acres.
Targets
Garrett Nussmeier, Marcus High School
The Flower Mound Marcus High School product has seen his already-high profile increase even more over the spring with several schools trying to get in on his recruiting.
Nussmeier is the No. 7 pro-style quarterback, No. 16 player in the state of Texas and No. 103 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
Watching his film: Nussmeier fits the gunslinger archetype perfectly. His release really stands out when you are watching him play. The ball gets out of his hands extremely quickly and he throws the ball with confidence and velocity. He has a ton of qualities that not only college coaches, but executives in the NFL look for as well.
Where Texas stands: Mike Yurcich appears to have targeted Nussmeier as one of the guys he wants to bring in. It's going to be a steep hill to climb with LSU looking like the favorite right now, but Nussmeier isn't committed yet. It will be interesting to see if he pushes back his commitment date, which was originally set for sometime shortly after Easter. If he does, that would be a good sign for Texas.
Sawyer Robertson, Lubbock Coronado
Intrest continues to gro for Robertson, who drew the attention of Mike Yurcich before the new Texas offensive coordinator ever arrived on the Forty Acres.
Robertson is the No. 9 pro-style quarterback, No. 28 player in the state of Texas and No. 163 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
Watching his film: If you were going to build a quarterback from the ground up he would look a lot like Robertson. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he's big and strong enough to stay standing as pass rushers try to grab him and surprisingly fast and agile when he gets out of the pocket.
Robertson makes everything look effortless when he's throwing the ball. He's got a strong enough arm for the deep passes but puts a ton of velocity into his short to intermediate throws as well. When Mike Leach becomes interested in a quarterback, people pay attention. He is as good as they come at recognizing what makes a passer successful and right now Robertson is the No. 1 guy on his board.
Where Texas stands: The Longhorns are fighting tooth and nail with Leach and Mississippi State for Robertson's services right now. It's going to be hard to pry him away from the Bulldogs, but the Longhorns are far from out of it when it comes to his recruitment. Yurcich clearly wants to get him on campus.
