11 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Decision day is here for Jalen Hale. And while ESPN originally projected that the Longview star would announce for the Texas Longhorns, an updated 247sports.com projection has him instead choosing the Alabama Crimson Tide. Our Thomas Bingham will be on the scene and we’ll have full coverage here and at etvarsity.com.
ORIGINAL STORY: The highly-anticipated commitment of Longview wide receiver Jalen Hale is almost here.
The four-star prospect is expected to announce his future college program at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The commitment event will take place at Longview High School’s Lobo Coliseum.
“It’s going to be a break for him and his parents because the recruiting process gets old and it wears on you,” Longview athletic director and head football coach John King said of Hale’s commitment ceremony on Wednesday. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to announce it, and have the finishing touches done on his recruitment. We’re going to accommodate them, and let Jalen have a special day because it is. A lot of kids dream of this day. It’ll be an exciting day for him and whoever the lucky school is.”
Hale definitely deserves the opportunity to play for one of the nation’s top college football programs, and can immediately make a difference once he arrives on the campus of his choosing. He’s expected to decide between Alabama, Georgia and Texas.
“He can play for anybody in the country, and he’s going to play a lot of football for years to come,” King said of the role and impact that Hale can have at the collegiate level. “It goes back to his performance on the field. He’s been a very explosive player for us. He’s a kid that has size, speed, length, and great ball skills, is a great ball runner, and is a kid that will block when asked to. He’s the ultimate competitor and has a lot of pride in what he does. He doesn’t like losing.”
King recognized Hale’s potential early on, and a stellar high school football career with 110 receptions for 2,308 yards and 32 touchdowns has followed. He has also racked up 14 catches for 290 yards and four scores in the first four games of his senior season in 2022.
“I saw a freshman that was very talented and raw,” King said of his impressions of a young Jalen Hale. “He put in the work to develop his skill sets that you see today. I’m not just talking about catching balls. Becoming faster, he ran track in the offseason, and it really helps his footspeed. He’s always been gifted, but he did a lot to enhance what he had initially, and developed into the person he is today.”
The Longview News-Journal and ET Varsity will both be on site for Hale’s commitment, so stay tuned to our combined web, social media and print coverage to find out the next stop of his career. Twitter @Texan8thGen and @lnjsports, ET Varsity and Longview News-Journal Facebook and online at ETVarsity.com