Kentucky standing out to '25 EDGE Austin Alexander following offer

There’s a new member of the Alexander family tearing up the gridiron across the Bluegrass State, but this budding star is doing so on the other side of the field.

Austin Alexander is a talented class of 2025 EDGE prospect out of Cooper High School, located just outside the city of Florence in northern Kentucky. The nephew of former NFL MVP running back Shaun Alexander (who also hails from the Florence area), Austin is steadily becoming known as one of the state’s top high school prospects. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Austin Alexander is already considered a three-star recruit, a top 400 prospect in the nation, and the highest-rated rising junior in the Commonwealth.

On Tuesday, he picked up an offer from the Wildcats.

“It was super cool,” Alexander told KSR on Wednesday. “(Associate head coach) Vince Marrow actually came up to the school, he came and talked to my coach, talking about how I’m one of the top dudes in the state, a really tough player, Kentucky wants me. They want to do whatever they can to keep me in state and all that. So just hearing that was super cool.”

Blessed to receive an offer from @UKFootball All Glory to God!@vincemarrow pic.twitter.com/TgT6CtulNe

— Austin Alexander (@AAlexander2025) May 30, 2023

Austin’s uncle ultimately didn’t end up at Kentucky — Shaun instead took his record-breaking high school skills to Alabama where he went on to win the 1999 SEC Player of the Year award and later experienced a successful NFL career — but there is serious traction between the next generation Alexander and the UK football program.

Alexander first began talking with the ‘Cats and Coach Marrow last summer when he shined during a June camp. Since then, he’s taken a handful of visits to Lexington, including one on Junior Day this past January, and will make a trip back in the near future, likely as soon as next month.

“I’m probably not gonna make it up to a camp, but I’m definitely gonna go down to Lexington and visit,” Alexander said. “I don’t have that date picked out yet but I’m definitely working with Coach Vince. My parents are picking out a date over June to get down there and check out some of the spots.”

Kentucky won’t be the only school looking to get him on campus for future visits, either. Alexander’s recruitment is in the process of blowing up. Right before he spoke with KSR, he had just gotten off the phone with staff members from Illinois, who extended him an offer. Louisville and Duke also offered him during the month of May.

Tennessee could be next to reach out with a scholarship while Michigan, Clemson, and North Carolina are all ramping up their contact. Alexander will camp at the likes of Clemson (Friday), UNC (Sunday), Florida State (early June), and Ohio State (mid-June) over the coming weeks. But Kentucky is making its pitch ahead of the pack, using the “hometown hero” mantra as a focal point.

“(Kentucky) just emphasized how much care they would have for me and that they do want me, especially being an in-state guy, one of the better guys in the state,” Alexander added. “Wanting to keep that Kentucky pride and that hometown feel.”

Alexander says that the UK staff sees him as a stand-up outside linebacker at the college level, likening himself to Wildcats’ current outside linebacker JJ Weaver. Alexander registered 85 total tackles (54 solo) across 11 games as a sophomore at Cooper (6-5 record) this past season, recording 11 sacks and one pick-6 in the process. He also lined up as a tight end, logging a team-high 34 receptions for 522 receiving yards and six touchdowns.