Three-star defensive tackle Jalen Alexander made his 2018 commitment to Maryland official, signing his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday.
I'm Officially a Maryland Terp This was Most definitely a GROWN MAN decision but we get to work in January. Time to separate from the rest. CHANGE THE CULTURE pic.twitter.com/G5nAd4OwWp
— Jalen Alexander (@GrindHard85) December 20, 2017
Alexander, who currently attends Western Branch in Chesapeake, Virginia, first announced his commitment in October. He is the No. 16 recruit in Virginia and No. 51 defensive tackle recruit in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Maryland beat out 18 other schools for Alexander, including NC State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Associate head coach and wide receivers coach Chris Beatty played a big role in getting Alexander, using his influence from his time at Virginia to secure a valuable recruit from the state.
Alexander joins four-star Austin Fontaine and three-star Tyler Baylor as Maryland’s 2018 defensive line commits. The Terps will add this trio to a group that is set to lose several players to graduation, including starters Chandler Burkett, Kingsley Opara and Cavon Walker. While Alexander probably won’t get immediate playing time, he will have a chance to compete in a wide open position group.
Alexander is also one of four Maryland recruits from Virginia in 2018. While Maryland has had success recruiting from Virginia, Alexander will be the only player on the team from Chesapeake next season. However, Beatty is confident that more Virginia recruits will be making their way to College Park.