Husky Roster Review: Alexander is Linebacker X Factor for UW

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did this past spring and what to expect from them going forward.

Alexander, the younger brother of former UW wide receiver Lonyatta Alexander Jr., who's now at Idaho, was one of three from the portal brought in by the Huskies to fortify the linebacker position, along with WSU transfer Buddah Al-Uqdah and Arizona transfer Jacob Manu.

Al-Uqdah seemed to establish himself right away as a starter who will be hard to dislodge. Manu, who led the Pac-12 in tackles in 2023, spent the spring rehabbing after having knee surgery and is attempting to return just 10 months after going down.

As for Alexander, he's not afraid to change things up. When he met with the media in February, he had a shaved head. By early May, he'd grown it out.

He initially came out with the No. 1 defense and played there for much of the first five spring practices before sophomore holdover Deven Bryant made a big spring move and supplanted him in the rotation.

In the closing Spring Game, those two played side by side for the White team.

Once fall camp unfolds, the linebacker competition won't get any less complicated when the Huskies ultimately welcome Manu and get a first look at elite 4-star recruit Zaydrius Rainey-Sale after the latter spent the spring rehabbing a high school knee injury.

Linebacker could become one of the more livelier position battles across the UW lineup before starters are said and done.

"The job is up for everybody," Alexander said. "It's whoever puts in the work."

XE'REE ALEXANDER FILE

What he's done: Alexander comes to the UW with a career 143 tackles over a pair of college seasons, so he's carried the load. He's such a good athlete, he even doubled up as a running back as a senior at Kennedy Catholic and rushed 108 times for 930 yards and 18 touchdowns. You can't tire him out.

Starter or not: Alexander is perfectly capable of starting but he'll be the first to tell you that he'll have to work for it. At Idaho, he played in 13 games and opened six of them. At UCF, he appeared in a dozen games and started seven. What that shows is he's not been handed anything nor is he easily discouraged.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Husky Roster Review: Manu Maintains 'He'll Be Ready to Play'

A Favorable Forecast for UW Football Worth Debating

Husky Roster Review: Al-Uqdah Goes From Passed Over to Mainstay