Interview: Recruiting Interest Building for 2023 Texas DB Jalen Menny
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The seven-game 2020 season for Class of 2023 defensive back Jalen Menny set the groundwork for exciting things to come. Learning the nuances of New Caney High School’s defense while developing his skills with a build up of confidence is constructing a ground swell into the 2021 campaign. Over the spring and summer months, further progress has been made with Menny’s game playing 7v7 ball with Texas Fury and that is attracting college football recruiting interest.
Making his first visit to the RNG Lab, Menny (6-2, 175) takes us inside his offseason workouts with a look at his early recruiting process.
Interview
Jalen, you do what safeties are supposed to do and that is clean up any messes that break out of the box, and you do it bringing the pain to the party. What do you like about playing safety?
I like to see the whole field and know what is going on. I feel like the QB on the field.
What defense(s) and coverages were the Eagles running last season?
We were running Cover 2, a little Cover 3, and sometimes man out of a 4-2 base.
Besides your open-field tackling and lowering the boom on guys, when your sophomore season finished what did you feel were some of the strengths to your game?
Coming down hill; I like to hit. I didn’t get many coverage plays, I started three games.
When the 2021 season kicks off, where all will we see you on the field?
My school, they move us around a lot. I will play defense this year, I played some receiver last year but didn’t get any touches; I’m playing receiver this year. On defense, I will be playing safety and some corner this year. At safety, I’m at weak safety on the other side of the free safety.
What have you been working on with your technique on defense this summer?
Getting out of my breaks faster, my pedal, my weave, and having good eyes. I feel like I have improved a lot. I had a toe injury playing 7v7, but I was playing corner. Playing corner, that has helped me.
Which 7v7 have you been playing for this spring and summer?
Texas Fury.
How has playing 7v7 ball with Texas Fury helped push your game forward this spring and summer?
It has made me more confident man to man wise. I am a shy guy, I don’t talk much, but playing 7v7 has made me more extroverted. It has helped a lot with my cover skills.
Which college camps have you gone on this summer?
LSU, SMU, and HBU (Houston Baptist) two weeks ago. I meet a lot of coaches at the camps.
Which programs did you meet with along the way?
Tulane, LSU, ULM (Louisiana-Monroe), Louisiana Tech, UNLV, HBU, Minnesota, TSU (Texas State), UTSA, and UIW (Incarnate Word).
That’s a lot of great exposure. Do you have any camps upcoming?
Yes, I am going to a HBU camp in late July.
Which schools are showing interest now?
Yale, UTSA, LSU I think, I have Coach O’s (LSU head coach Ed Orgeron) number, Arizona State, and ULM.
Coach O’s number, that’s big-time. From Twitter, I know you visited LSU. What all did you do during that visit?
We toured the whole campus, we went to the stadium, tried on uniforms, and took pictures.
Being at a top college football program like LSU, what were some of the impressionable moments while on campus?
It felt like home. I could picture myself there. I really enjoyed myself, the coaches, and the environment at LSU. It was great.
Jalen, I appreciate your time today covering ground on camps and recruiting. Keep grinding.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Photo credit: Menny family; Jalen Menny