Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns QB Hosts 4-Star RB on Official Visit

The Texas Longhorns have been busy on the recruiting trail recently.
Zach Dimmitt|
Dec 6, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Saraland's KJ Lacey (9) dashes through a hole in the Parker defense at Protective Stadium in the 6A State Championship game.
Dec 6, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Saraland's KJ Lacey (9) dashes through a hole in the Parker defense at Protective Stadium in the 6A State Championship game. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Texas Longhorns

Texas Longhorns quarterback KJ Lacey has yet to take his first collegiate snap but he's still assisting the program in some major recruiting efforts this offseason.

Expected to be the No. 4 quarterback next season behind Arch Manning, Matthew Caldwell and Trey Owens, Lacey recently helped host four-star 2026 running back Ezavier Crowell on an official visit.

Crowell is the No. 4 running back in the class and No. 7 overall player in the state of Alabama, per 247Sports' rankings.

KJ Lacey,
KJ Lacey, of Saraland High School, is named Alabama Mr. Football during the 2024 Mr. Football and Players of the Year Banquet in Montgomery, Ala., on Monday January 27, 2025. | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Both are products of Alabama, as Lacey is from Saraland and Crowell from Jackson. Lacey posted a picture with Crowell on social media with the hashtag "251 boys," which is the area code for southwest Alabama.

Take a look, per CJ Vogel of OnTexasFootball:

Crowell has received offers from programs like Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami and many more.

As for Lacey, he recently opened up about why he chose Texas as a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class.

"Texas wasn't just another school on the list," Lacey wrote on TikTok. "It was a place that believed in me before the spotlight got bright. The coaches saw more than talent they saw potential. The culture, the brotherhood, the standard... it all felt real. I wanted to be somewhere that wasn't just chasing wins, but building something. Of all the offers, Texas felt like home. Not just for football, but for my future."

Lacey received praise from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian in April after impressing in live action during spring ball. 

"All three of these guys this spring have played their best when we scrimmaged," Sarkisian said of the quarterbacks. "That's a really good sign for us ... KJ and Trey in particular, because I don't have as much information on them. ... All of a sudden I saw KJ Lacey's mobility and athleticism show up in Thursday night's scrimmage, and him extending plays, and him coaching guys on the situations and him being a really vocal leader."

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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