CLEMSON — When Ben Boulware looks at Jeremiah Alexander, he sees a player who can help Clemson’s defense in a multitude of ways.

Alexander was one of three transfers Dabo Swinney signed after last season, and of the three, he is probably the one who has been talked about the least.

Alexander’s story is rather unique. As a member of the 2022 recruiting class, Alexander was rated a five-star talent, and after a summer visit to Clemson, all signs pointed towards the blue-chip talent committing to the Tigers. However, Alexander quickly had a change of heart and announced a commitment to the home-state team in Alabama.

After spending three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Alexander decided it was time for a change of scenery, and this time, Swinney made sure he got his man.

While the other two transfers, DE Will Heldt and WR Tristan Smith, received a bulk of the publicity throughout the spring, Alexander just put his head down and went to work, and first-year linebackers coach Ben Boulware certainly took notice.

“He just does everything that he needs to do,” Boulware said during Clemson’s annual media outing. “It is more than what’s required or expected. And he will experience fruit this year. That formula, more times than not, works out. When you work super hard, you’re a good person, you treat people the right way, fruit typically comes of that.”

As a recruit coming out of high school, Alexander was highly touted, ranking as high as No. 18 overall in the Composite Rankings. After his three uneventful seasons in Tuscaloosa, in which he was part of a loaded linebacker room and only sparingly saw the field, 247 didn’t even rank him among the Top 700 players in the portal.

Don’t tell Alexander that. He is just as hungry as ever, maybe even more so now that he is a little older and wiser, and what Boulware has seen is the work ethic of an experienced veteran.

With Wade Woodaz back for his senior season and Sammy Brown now a sophomore, one of the biggest questions surrounding Alexander is where he might fit into the Tigers’ defense. He spent most of the spring working at the MIKE, but that doesn’t mean that is the only spot he will line up.

“He is a backer. He is definitely a freaking backer, like in the middle of the field,” Boulware said. “We’ll definitely get creative. We know he has experience rushing the passer, and he has a great arsenal and a lot of tools in his tool belt when it comes to rushing off the edge. So we’ll use him in a multitude of different ways. He’s super smart. He can be a three-position guy, and he’s not going to get locked in at the MIKE.”

In fact, it sounds like we could see Alexander used in a variety of ways, with Boulware insisting the staff will find ways to get the most out of his versatility.

“He will get used in a lot of different ways, and that’s our responsibility is to maximize these guys’ potential,” Boulware said. “And he’s got a lot of tools in his tool belt, and he happens to be just the hardest working kid you ever met in your life. He can handle all of the positions. We’re going to stress him because he’s going to play a lot of positions.”