Previewing the Longhorns 2021 quarterback competition

As of late July, Texas’s 2020 football season seems to be drawing closer without a delay. After a rather thin quarterback room in 2019, the Longhorns will enter the 2020 season with a plethora of talent. With one season remaining, senior quarterback, Sam Ehlinger, has already cemented himself as one of the Longhorn greats. However, Tom Herman will have to start a new gunslinger in 2021. Today, we will look at the options at Herman’s disposal heading into the 2021 season.

2021 Quarterback Options:

Casey Thompson (2021: Redshirt Junior)

The Sooners legacy from Newcastle, Oklahoma turned some heads when he headed for Austin. Now heading into his third season in Austin, Thompson will head into 2020 as the second-string quarterback for the second year in a row. The mobile quarterback appeared in four games for the Longhorns in 2019. Entering 2021, Thompson will benefit from his rapport with Herman. However, Casey will have to learn a new system this season under newly minted offensive coordinator, Mike Yurcich.

Hudson Card (2021: Sophomore)

Entering the 2020 season, Card will compete with Casey Thompson for the backup quarterback spot. However, I would not be surprised to see Hudson use a redshirt in 2020. Card, an Austin native, led Lake Travis deep into the playoffs over the last two seasons. Hudson has the arm and athleticism that is needed to be a dominant quarterback at the college level. However, this season, Card will gain valuable experience from learning from Sam Ehlinger. To learn more about what Hudson brings to the table, read my full recruiting breakdown of him here.

Ja’Quinden Jackson (2021: Sophomore)

Currently, Jackson is in the process of recovering from a partially torn left ACL that he suffered last December. However, Ja’Quinden was one of the most electric players to watch under the Friday night lights. In addition, Jackson has the athleticism to play virtually any position on the field. As a result, he will have the opportunity to first prove his value at the quarterback position and, if all else fails, will be able to be a game changer on defense. To learn more about what Ja’Quinden brings to the table, read my full recruiting breakdown of him here.

Jalen Milroe (Four-star commit – 2021: Freshman)

First of all, the Longhorns will have to get pen on paper from Milroe as there is still plenty of time left in the 2021 recruiting cycle. However, if Milroe remains committed to Texas, the Longhorns will add a tremendous talent. Milroe will face an uphill battle for the 2021 starting quarterback job as the rest of the quarterback room will have had a year to learn Coach Yurcich’s system. But first, the dual-threat quarterback will try to lead Katy Tompkins to their first state title.

Outlook

The future seems to be bright for the Longhorns. They are positioned much better than they have been in the past and seem to have a multitude of candidates that are qualified to take over for Sam Ehlinger. However, 2021 will prove to be an interesting year for the team as the quarterback competition will be highly publicized and critiqued.