Football is the family business in the Price household, and business is booming.
Standing at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Cedar Hill’s Jalen Price is one of the most intriguing defensive prospects in Texas. The junior has been racking up offers from the likes of Auburn, Baylor, and Southern Miss, anchoring a fierce Cedar Hill defense with a chip on its shoulder.
“We want to remind the state of Texas that Cedar Hill is still here,” Price said. “There’s a standard you have to hold up here... it’s competitive. Everyone wants to eat. We’re all fighting to get that first sack, that first TFL, that first tipped ball. We all want to make plays.”
One of Price’s biggest weapons? His versatility in the trenches.
“I’ve really improved my speed, and my body is developing,” he said. “With my size and quickness, the coaches are moving me around from the edge to three-technique in pass rush. All these different stances and alignments let me open up my bag.”
That athleticism and passion run deep in his bloodline. His father, JP Price, played alongside Zach Thomas and Marcus Coleman at Texas Tech. His grandfather, Willie Price Jr., was an All-SWAC performer at Prairie View A&M and later coached JP at Roosevelt High in Dallas.
Despite the legacy, Jalen’s journey has been self-driven.
“I’ve never really felt pressure from my family to play football,” he said. “I actually like engineering. But as I got older—and bigger—I really started to love the sport and the physicality of it.”
That love turned into resolve after a personal tragedy.
“I made a promise to my auntie that I was going to make it. When she passed, it flipped a switch in me. I’ve got to keep my promise to her.”
Now, he’s locked in like a pro.
“I train, eat right, and focus a lot on recovery,” he said. “You’ve got to get rest. I play a lot of basketball to improve footwork and cardio, and I watch film constantly—Aaron Donald, T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson, Colin Simmons (Texas), Dylan Stewart (South Carolina). I stay in the game.”
With his size, genes, and mindset, Jalen Price is a name Texas high school football — and college recruiters — won’t forget anytime soon.