5-star DE Alexander picks Bama over Clemson

Alabama beat Clemson on the recruiting trail for five-star defensive end Jeremiah Alexander, who announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide on Thursday.

Alexander is the No. 11-ranked recruit overall and the No. 1-ranked prospect in the state of Alabama. He’s a 6-foot-2, 230-pound defensive end, who could also play linebacker, from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama.

This is the second time Alexander has committed to Alabama, as he first chose the Tide in March, 2020, only to decommit in October. He considered other schools along the way, including Georgia, UCF, Clemson, but ultimately Alabama won out once again.

“I committed (again) because of what I still saw in Alabama,” Alexander told ESPN. “When I decommitted from Alabama, I never really lost love, I was just opening back up to have fun with the process.”

He took visits to UCF, Georgia, Clemson and Alabama, which helped him wade through what each school had to offer and which school was the best fit for him.

“I went in there open-minded and with a clear mind, because that was the point of decommitting so I could see other schools,” Alexander said. “I wasn’t really comparing them to Alabama, I was just seeing what they had to offer.”

After seeing the competing schools, Alexander still felt as though Alabama was the best place for him.

“The home atmosphere, me being up there every weekend,” Alexander said. “Whether it was for a visit or just chilling with the players. I felt, ultimately, I know this is rare, but I felt like every coach at Alabama is someone I’m comfortable with.”

His commitment gives Alabama seven total ESPN 300 commitments in the class, four ranked in the top-50 with Alexander, Emmanuel Henderson, the No. 1 running back in the class, Ty Simpson, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback, and Le’Veon Moss, the No. 3-ranked running back.

With seven ESPN 300 commitments, Alabama is now four behind Ohio State, who has 11, three behind LSU and Penn State, two behind Oregon and Notre Dame and one behind Georgia in the 2022 class.