The Tar Heels success outside of the home state in the 2025 class continued earlier this afternoon when the team added their most significant defensive piece yet.
In a commitment ceremony at his high school in Kentucky, 4✮ EDGE Austin Alexander chose the Tar Heels over Tennessee, Kentucky and others.
Alexander is beginning preparations for his senior season at Cooper High School in Burlington, KY off a very productive past two years. As a junior, he finished with 81 total tackles, 19.0 sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries on the defensive side of the ball while also playing a huge role for his team offensively. He caught 67 receptions for 1,138 yards and 19 touchdowns, all numbers that led the team and helped him earn first team all-tri state and all-state honors. The year prior, he also played a big role on both sides of the ball as a sophomore. He racked up 85 total tackles, 11.0 sacks and an interception and caught 34 passes for 522 yards and six touchdowns.
Alexander, the No. 42 edge rusher and No. 3 player in Kentucky in the class according to 247Sports Composite player rankings, gives the Tar Heels a guy in this class that can simply get after the quarterback. He has a very solid release off the line of scrimmage and does an outstanding job of shedding blocks to make plays in the backfield. His use of technical pass rush moves is the big reason why he’s able to live in the backfield and his athleticism goes a long way towards him being able to chase down quarterbacks and running backs to create negative plays. He has very solid size already at 6’3, 243 lbs., but he will have to add more physicality to his game if he wants to make a significant impact in his first season, but with his ability to shed blockers, he should get a chance to be a part of the rotation within his first few years on campus.