The Longhorns desperately needed a quarterback in their recruiting class. Tonight, they received the great news they were yearning for when Gilman School (Baltimore, Maryland) quarterback Kai Locksley changed his commitment from Florida State to Texas.
About Locksley...
AT 6-4, 180 pounds, Locksley is a tremendous athlete. He's such a good athlete that he looked fluid, natural, and productive as a receiver at the Under Armour All-American Game. However, he's an athlete that can play quarterback at the next level.
Is he raw? Sure. Right now, the four-star prospect is inconsistent when it comes to getting his lower half to work in unison with the upper half of his body when throwing a football. That can lead to accuracy issues and take away from velocity on the football. That being said, Locksley is a player with a high ceiling as a signal caller, especially in a spread offense that utilizes his ability to make plays on his feet. There aren't many QB prospects in the country better at making players with their feet than the newest Texas commitment. But as a passer, Locksley is an attractive piece of clay just waiting to be molded with reps, time, and work.
The good news for Texas is that he's the son of a longtime college coach, so the cerebral part of the position should be there. In fact, I was told by someone in the know that that's what caught Jimbo Fisher's attention the most when Locksley threw in front of Fisher at a FSU camp. It wasn't until Fisher saw Locksley and talked to him about throwing that he offered him. Say what you want about Fisher, but the man knows QBs. Anyway, Locksley seems to have a complete understanding of where he is right now as a quarterback, and isn't one of those types that immediately wants playing time.
He remind me some of former FSU quarterback EJ Manuel because the two release the football in a similar manner and spin it from the same angle out of a similar frame. Manuel was more polished, and a more ready product coming out of high school. But Locksley is a better athlete, and has an arm of similar strength. Basically, Locksley has a lower floor than Manuel, but he might have a tad higher ceiling because of his ability as a runner, which is truly top-notch.
What does this mean for Texas?
It means that the Longhorns landed their quarterback, and regardless of what happens the rest of the way, they successfully closed this recruiting class because without a quarterback, there would have been some serious questions to answer moving forward. Plus, this is another big recruiting win for Texas when you consider what it went up against. It also is probably another sign that the Texas offense is moving to a more spread, wide open look that utilizes the running ability of dual-threat quarterbacks.
About Locksley...
AT 6-4, 180 pounds, Locksley is a tremendous athlete. He's such a good athlete that he looked fluid, natural, and productive as a receiver at the Under Armour All-American Game. However, he's an athlete that can play quarterback at the next level.
Is he raw? Sure. Right now, the four-star prospect is inconsistent when it comes to getting his lower half to work in unison with the upper half of his body when throwing a football. That can lead to accuracy issues and take away from velocity on the football. That being said, Locksley is a player with a high ceiling as a signal caller, especially in a spread offense that utilizes his ability to make plays on his feet. There aren't many QB prospects in the country better at making players with their feet than the newest Texas commitment. But as a passer, Locksley is an attractive piece of clay just waiting to be molded with reps, time, and work.
The good news for Texas is that he's the son of a longtime college coach, so the cerebral part of the position should be there. In fact, I was told by someone in the know that that's what caught Jimbo Fisher's attention the most when Locksley threw in front of Fisher at a FSU camp. It wasn't until Fisher saw Locksley and talked to him about throwing that he offered him. Say what you want about Fisher, but the man knows QBs. Anyway, Locksley seems to have a complete understanding of where he is right now as a quarterback, and isn't one of those types that immediately wants playing time.
He remind me some of former FSU quarterback EJ Manuel because the two release the football in a similar manner and spin it from the same angle out of a similar frame. Manuel was more polished, and a more ready product coming out of high school. But Locksley is a better athlete, and has an arm of similar strength. Basically, Locksley has a lower floor than Manuel, but he might have a tad higher ceiling because of his ability as a runner, which is truly top-notch.
What does this mean for Texas?
It means that the Longhorns landed their quarterback, and regardless of what happens the rest of the way, they successfully closed this recruiting class because without a quarterback, there would have been some serious questions to answer moving forward. Plus, this is another big recruiting win for Texas when you consider what it went up against. It also is probably another sign that the Texas offense is moving to a more spread, wide open look that utilizes the running ability of dual-threat quarterbacks.
