Kwon Alexander was named an All-American by MaxPreps both as a sophomore and as a junior.
Kwon Alexander
Photo courtesy of Oxford Athletics
Heading into his senior season, he has a new distinction: Alexander is the nation's No. 1 linebacker for the Class of 2012, according to Tom Lemming.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Alexander has all the tools to thrive at the next level. He's powerful, fast, and extremely agile. He is a prolific pass rusher but can also drop back in coverage playing on the weakside.
As a sophomore, the
Oxford (Ala.) star accounted for a gaudy 133 total tackles to go along with seven sacks and four forced fumbles.
Alexander had a star quality even as a 10th grader, said Nick Birdsong, a staff writer for the Anniston Star.
"The first time I saw him, he was a sophomore playing Hoover in a preseason game," Birdsong said. "I didn't know anything about him, but there was this kid just running all over the field making tackles everywhere. He was making almost every tackle.
"He's just always had that speed, especially for a kid playing linebacker. He's always been really aggressive."
As Alexander's numbers grew last season - 147 tackles and 17 sacks - so did his stock with college recruiters. He's been a household name among prep football fans in Alabama.
"There is no rivalry like Auburn and Alabama," Birdsong said. "It's 24/7/365. Everybody knows who the top recruits are. If you go up to any Alabama or Auburn fan, they know who Kwon Alexander is."
Birdsong said that local fans reacted to the fact that Alexander wore an Alabama jacket at Oxford's National Signing Day ceremony in February.
Alexander has ties to both Alabama and Auburn. Teammate
Michael Flint is already committed to the Tigers, while close friend
Reggie Ragland has already pledged to the Crimson Tide.
But Alexander is keeping quiet about his interest in both schools, according to Birdsong.
"He's playing it pretty close to the vest," he said. "I know just about as much as everyone else. He's been pretty consistent with the fact that he'll let everyone know on National Signing Day."
Look for feature on top defensive back and top athlete on Tuesday. Tom Lemming's 2012 Top 100 will be released on Wednesday.
