Jeremiah Alexander has yet to play his first season at Clemson, but it’s safe to say he has already made an outstanding impression on his head coach.
Dabo Swinney met with the media before Clemson kicked off fall camp Thursday afternoon and spoke glowingly about Alexander, who joined the Tigers early this year after transferring from Alabama.
Swinney had nothing but high praise for the 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker and his work ethic.
“If everybody worked like Jeremiah Alexander, this would be the easiest job in America,” Swinney said. “He’s unbelievable. You just pull for a kid like that. … He’s just a phenomenal young man. Great parents.”
As Swinney noted, the redshirt junior brings a veteran presence to the Tigers’ linebacker room.
“He’s a graduate already and he’s got two years of eligibility [left], and I’m so glad he’s here,” Swinney said. “We needed another veteran guy. We’ve got a lot of young guys. We needed another real veteran guy. Even though he hasn’t played a lot – he’s had some injuries and stuff. But man, he has truly been committed and he’s been above and beyond in everything that’s been asked of him.
“So, excited to see him get out there and get to work, and we need some depth. We know what we got in [linebackers] Sammy [Brown] and Wade [Woodaz], obviously. Those guys are proven guys for us here. And then Jeremiah has done everything he can within his power to give himself the best chance to go compete — learning a new system, being in elite shape.”
A former five-star prospect, Alexander spent his first three seasons at Alabama, where he was part of an extremely crowded linebacker room. Much of his work came on special teams during his time in Tuscaloosa, and the hope is that the change of scenery will kick-start a career that has yet to really get off the ground.
As for how the Tigers will utilize Alexander on the field, Swinney said he will see some action in the “Tiger” position on defense.
Swinney called him “a grinder.”
“The guy wants it,” Swinney said. “He’s one of those type of people that you really pull for because he’s done the work.”