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The spotlight wasn’t just on the 2021 recruiting class on National Signing Day, as 2022 Denton Ryan defensive tackle Bear Alexander announced his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday.
I would like to thank God , my family, and all the coaches.For all the things he has blessed me with. I am thankful for the many schools that recruited me throughout this process. I’m a 100% committed to the University of Georgia @maka_difference #GoDawgs# ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/dnf6LnYaxD
— THE BIG BEAR (@BearAlexander_) February 3, 2021
Alexander held 28 other offers and made his decision over finalists like Alabama, Florida, Ohio state, and Oklahoma.
A consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 1 defensive tackle in the state of Texas for the 2022 class, Alexander’s decision was another blow to the early recruiting efforts of new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. In recent days, Texas A&M Texas A&Mhas gained momentum in the class with pledges like those of Dickinson tight end Donovan Green and Katy defensive end Malick Sylla while catching the attention of other Houston-area products.
Just by itself, however, the loss of Alexander is significant — defensive tackles with his combination of size and athleticism are not only relatively rare in a normal year, but especially rare in the 2022 class in Texas, as there isn’t a single other defensive tackle currently ranked among the state’s top 50 players.
The Longhorns recently offered Bremond’s Jaray Bledsoe, a rising prospect who is currently unranked, but no other in-state defensive tackles current hold offers from Texas, so that’s a position to watch moving forward.