Mayden off and running

There are good starts, there are great starts, and then there is the start Jalen Mayden is off to in the 2015 season.

The Sachse (Texas) sophomore quarterback has completed over 75-percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards in his first four varsity starts. He is also averaging over 7 yards a carry on 40 rushes, and most importantly Sachse is 4-0 on the season.

"I mean everything really started booming after coach told me I would be starting," Mayden said. "Then I started getting more reps and then stuff started really clicking in my mind. Then we just started having offensive success."

Offensive success is one way to put throwing for 540 yards, six touchdowns, zero interceptions, and completing just shy of 85-percent of your passes in your first district contest. He also had 64 yards and a touchdown on the ground as Sachse topped Tyler Lee 66-41.

Sachse quarterbacks have put up big numbers over the years but to tie a school record for passing touchdowns in a single game and break the school record for passing yardage in a single game definitely says a lot.

After his big game, Jalen took a trip to Penn State.

"Penn State was great," Mayden said. "The atmosphere was lovely. The stands were crazy and the fan are amazing. Their team was great. They do a lot of passing and running. Christian (Hackenberg) seems like he was developed by a great coach, so I really did like it.

The week before he was in Austin for an unofficial visit to Texas.

"That was crazy," Mayden said." You know Texas' tradition is always something you have to love being a recruit. Its something that you have to take on and ask questions about."

A trip to Baylor is tentatively scheduled for this week, and a family trip to Oregon is scheduled for October 9.

Mayden's success is impressive but it is not a surprise. His brother Jared Mayden is a Rivals250 cornerback headed to Oregon and his brother James Mayden is a sophomore receiver at Rice. The Mayden name has a strong reputation in football circles.

Jalen Mayden entered the season with scholarship offers from Bryant, Houston, Oregon State, and Syracuse. Interest is coming from colleges across the country.

One day he will have his own decision to make, and he has already learned a lot about the recruiting process. He has not only seen his brother go through the process, but he has seen several friends and teammates make their decisions over the years. Out of all lessons, one stands above the others.

"Well I've seen some of the closest people I know choose a school for coaches and then the coaches change while they're there and they're not happy anymore," Mayden said. "My brothers always talked about choosing the right fit for you. Don't choose it for coaches or anybody else because at the end of the day you're going to be there your four years."