It was a little more than one week ago when Texas picked up a wide receiver commitment for the 2022 class. On Saturday afternoon, it was the 2021 class that added a key component when Jaden Alexis announced on Twitter that he was committing to the Longhorns.
A four-star prospect out of Coconut Creek (FL) Monarch, Alexis said it was a combination of factors that led him to choose Texas over about 35 other scholarship offers.
“I just think it’s the best fit for me. (Wide receivers) coach (Andre) Coleman, I know I’ll be in great hands with him. He wants to start off with a strong recruiting class, and I want to hit a home run ball with him,” Alexis said. “I know he’ll develop me. And also, the academic side of UT is amazing. It’s just a great fit overall, it’s a great city, a great fan base. It really all lined up for me with what I want.”
Alexis has said throughout his recruitment that he’s looking for a fit that will be about more than just football. At Texas, he said all the pieces are in place to help not only grow on the field, but develop him as a person.
“It was very important,” Alexis said of the non-football factors. “People always say, football is going to end at some point. Even if it does continue, you have to have a brand. The connections I can make at Texas are endless. The stage I’ll be playing on, it all falls in line with what I want to do.”
Alexis said the idea of committing to Texas has been on his mind “for a month or two.” The last couple weeks, he’d been talking with some other schools to make sure he was making the right decision, and on Saturday he made it official. He told the Texas coaches moments before going public with his commitment on Twitter.
“I called coach Coleman. They had practice so they were all in a staff meeting. Coach Herman came over, coach (Mike) Yurcich was in the background,” Alexis said. “I had a quick conversation and went over everything. They were very excited. Very excited.”
Along with Texas, Alexis said he was strongly considering Rutgers and Miami, but at the end of the day had to make what he thought was the best decision for himself. With his commitment behind him, Alexis said he’ll pretty much shut down the recruiting process, although he does want to get to Austin for a visit, even if it means coming in during a dead period to see the UT campus and the city of Austin.
“It’s very exciting for me. It’s something I’ve been waiting for for a while. It’s a really big decision, always been a dream to pick a school and go to a school.”
At 6-1 and 185 pounds, Alexis has a nice blend of size and speed. Rivals.com recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy said there’s a lot to like with Alexis’s upside.
“The kid’s fast. I think that’s kind of the calling card for him is his speed,” Cassidy said. “We loved him at the Rivals camp. He’s not a developed prospect, probably needs time to put on muscle but he has a good frame. He has things you can’t coach with his speed and elusiveness. If they can develop him, he has a high ceiling.
“We’re very high on him, have him ranked as a four-star prospect for a reason. I think he has all-Big 12 potential if he can reach it.”
Alexis becomes the Longhorns’ 17th commitment in the 2021 class and is UT’s second wide receiver commitment, joining Casey Cain.
