Alief Taylor has had plenty of talent over the past few years and Quarterback Chase Jenkins is the next guy on the list.
Jenkins is a 6-foot 185 pound Dual-Threat quarter back having the ability to make big plays through the air and the ground. The Alief Taylor QB was a 1st team all district selection this year throwing for 1800 yds and 17 TD's while rushing for 695 yds and 7 TD"s.
This terrific season didn't go unnoticed by D1 coaches as Jenkins was offered by Lamar, Jackson State, and Rice where he has just committed.
I caught up with Jenkins after the commitment and asked him why he chose to commit to Rice over the other schools he had been offered.
I asked Jenkins what made Rice his choice at the end of the day and he said the coaches and staff were great to him, always showing him love. Jenkins also said something that I feel many recruits overthink sometimes, he said "Football and school can be done lots of places, but being somewhere that felt like home and that’s actually home was a huge plus for me". As a recruit you want to find a place that feels home for you and Jenkins has found that home in Rice.
The Alief Taylor quarterback has an amazing career ahead of him and gets to do it in a city he is very familiar with which is truly special. When talking with Jenkins about what it means to him and his family to be playing so close to home Jenkins mentioned how thankful he and his family are to be able to continue his career in a great city like Houston, saying that he get's the "best of both world's" having family so close and being able to continue his dream.
Though the decision to go to Rice was ultimately a football decision Jenkins was thrilled at the opportunity to get an amazing education from one of the best academic schools in the country. Jenkins mentioned that getting an education from Rice will last well beyond his years of playing football but told me "make no mistake, I'm coming to ball out while earning my degree" wanting to make sure people know he's coming to the Owls program to give his full effort on and off the field.
The last thing I wanted to ask Jenkins before letting him go back to celebrating with his family and friends was if he had a message for the Rice Owl fans and he responded saying this "Get ready! Thank you for this opportunity and that God willing, myself, the other players coming in 2 years and those already there are going to give our best on and off the field every week. We want the stands packed! Go Owls!".
The Rice Football team is getting a remarkable quarterback from their own backyard and don't be shocked to hear his name being chanted out on the field in two years. For now though, keep an eye out for Chase Jenkins on the field for Alief Taylor next year as he is due for a big senior year!