CLEMSON RECRUITING

Five-star 2022 defensive end has Clemson on top after visit
Alexander poses with head coach Dabo Swinney.

Five-star 2022 defensive end has Clemson on top after visit


by - Senior Writer -

College prospects were allowed to visit campuses and meet with coaches in person for the first time in over a year starting Tuesday, and it’s already paid dividends for Clemson as the top edge-rusher in the country now lists the Tigers as his leader.

Defensive end Jeremiah Alexander (6-2 235) is a 5-star out of Alabaster (AL) Thompson, and he was one of the first prospects in to see Clemson when the live period started on Tuesday. That was important for the Tigers because it gave Dabo Swinney, defensive tackles coach Todd Bates and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall a chance to get the jump on the competition.

Alexander is ranked the No. 1 edge rusher in the country in the 247Sports Composite. And the Clemson coaches and players made the best of their time with Alexander.

“Clemson, I like the family base, and I felt like it was genuine,” Alexander said. “I can’t say that Clemson isn’t at the top spot right now because they are. Me and my family loved it as well. I genuinely felt a family vibe, and I also felt comfortable. That’s two key things that I’m looking for when I commit to a school. Just got to take it day by day from here.”

Alexander said he got the chance to see a lot of things around the program and the campus during his visit.

“When I first got there, we went to the academic place, and we toured around the campus,” Alexander said. “We went to a big lake that surrounded Clemson. We went into the game room and stuff like that, just seeing the campus.”

He also spent time with Swinney, Bates and Hall getting to know them better and enhancing an already strong relationship.

“I talked to coach Bates, he was with me all day. And coach Lemanski Hall. They were with me throughout the whole day,” Alexander said. “Coach Bates and coach Lemanski, we’ve been building a relationship ever since the dead period. I’ve met both of them before because I’ve been to two games. But actually sitting down and talking to them and getting to know them in person, I couldn’t do that because they were fixing to play a game. Coach Bates, he has very good knowledge. For example, he gave me a sheet of paper, and it had a dollar on it.

“He said, when you drop a dollar, it stays together, so that signifies all playing together. And then he said, a hundred pennies if you drop that, it indicates they’re a bunch of individuals that will all go their own separate ways. Stuff like that, it shows me he’s going to coach me every single day. The guys already at Clemson hear that every day. It just showed me how family-based they are.”

Alexander said he also talked with several players, including receiver EJ Williams, who he faced in high school. He also met up with defensive tackles Tyler Davis, Bryan Bresee, and Tre’ Williams.

Alexander was scheduled to visit Georgia Thursday and will be at Alabama Saturday. He also has an official visit to Central Florida scheduled for next weekend. That will be his only official visit of the month. He’ll set one with Clemson for the football season.

Alexander has committed to play in the All-American Game in January and is planning to wait until then to make his commitment public, though he said he could commit during the season depending on how the official visits go.

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