On Tuesday during the Huskers’ coaches tour, defensive back coach Travis Fisher hinted at the idea they’d still add a player to the defensive backfield if it was the right player. Could Kilgore Junior College safety Jonathan Alexander be that player? The defender (6-3, 205) who is originally from Fort Worth, Texas, announced on Twitter that he will be in Lincoln on June 22.
Just got off the phone with @coach_frost and @CoachChinander ! Can’t wait to get to Lincoln next weekend and see what they have cooking! #GBR🌽
— Jonathan Alexander🦍 (@CatchaplayJ) June 14, 2018
I reached out to him and Alexander told me that he will be in Lincoln not for the Friday Night Lights camp but for an unofficial visit. He spent last season playing for Garden City in Kansas before moving to Kilgore this spring. He has been talking with the Nebraska staff for about three months, getting to talk to multiple coaches on the staff. So how has he enjoyed the interactions so far?
“I’ve loved it," Alexander said. "I talked to Coach [Jovan] Dewitt first and then he put me in touch with Coach [Ryan] Held because Coach Held runs the JUCO recruiting. He was telling me how they brought the whole staff from UCF up to Nebraska. That showed me that they are like family. He told me that some staff’s family are even grad assistants with them so that’s great.”
Alexander played safety last season so it would stand to reason that the Huskers were recruiting him for the same position. That’s not necessarily the case as he told me on Thursday.
“I talked to Coach [Scott] Frost this morning and he said he wants me to be a Shaquem Griffin-type guy. I didn’t know what that meant at first but he said he’d want me to play safety, corner, linebacker or whatever. He wants me to be the X-factor that can do a little bit of everything.”
At the moment, he is also considering LSU, TCU, Houston, Louisiana and Nebraska. There isn’t a particular timeline in mind for a decision to be made but Alexander told me, “I’m a full qualifier so I can come out of JUCO whenever I get the offer.” In his mind he would prefer to come to his new team as soon as possible. However, Frost told him that they are still working out whether or not they can take him now or in December.
The biggest thing that he is looking forward to when he gets to Lincoln next week is interacting with the coaching staff. The relationship has been good over the phone but he’s looking forward to the face to face interactions. The staff also happens to be the number one factor in when he decides to play next.
“My main thing that I care about is the coaches," he said. "How do they interact with players and how do the players respect them? Respecting the coaches is important but also being able to be cool with them off the field.”
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8675992/59ed5b2f6898f80e14572fae
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
