Receiver Chooses Texas Over Offers From Alabama, Texas A&M and Many Others
Texas Longhorn fans can celebrate after earning a commitment from Florida wide receiver Jaden Alexis.
Alexis is a three-star prospect out of Pompano Beach, Florida. He ranks as the No. 60 wide receiver, No. 60 player in the state of Florida and No. 368 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
He chose the Longhorns over offers from Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Virginia, Texas A&M, Brown, Bethune Cookman, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Florida State, USF, Utah, Vanderbilt, Eastern Michigan, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Indiana, Kentucky, Liberty, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina and UCF.
Evaluation from SI All American:
Frame: Lean and wiry with some muscle definition in upper body. Solid length with strong trunk, developed lower half.
Athleticism: Twitchy. Explosive short-area quickness. Good open-field speed with considerable stride relative to height. Flashes the ability to get to second gear relatively quickly. Quick hands. When he runs, Alexis stops and starts at an elite level with well above average lean.
Instincts: Understands how to get off tight coverage by using his hands and adjusting his speed at the line of scrimmage. Sharp cuts in and out of breaks with consistent separation Quick hands to put the ball away after catching a screen in traffic with good vision and execution as a runner.
Polish: Intelligent receiver that stems his routes well. Uses his hands to defeat press coverage. Alexis takes advantage of his lateral quickness to get off the line of scrimmage as well as make defenders miss in heavy traffic. Uses speed threat to set up double moves.
Bottom Line: Alexis is a big-play threat because of his short-area quickness and burst. Very athletic wide receiver that will be difficult to corral during one-on-one situations, particularly after the catch. Adept at beating press coverage and excellent at turning a short screen into a long gain.
What it means for Texas: Alexis is definitely ranked too low by recruiting services right now. If you don't believe me, just ask the myriad of blue blood schools that were competing for his services. He will fit perfectly into what Texas wants to do out of the slot and still has the frame to potentially line up on the outside should that be his calling.
It's also important to look at where the Longhorns' last two commitments have come from. The state of Florida is suddenly becoming a nice viable option for the program with a new coaching staff filled with east-coast connections. Texas sill always be the Texas' No. 1 area when it comes to recruiting, but it's become a crowded battleground in recent years. Being able to go and pluck a couple of kids out of places like California and Florida can certainly add to a class. Especially when those players come with legitimate 4.4 speed like Alexis.
