SI All-American Candidate Junior Alexander Highlights and Evaluation

Junior Alexander is a wide receiver prospect from Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Wash. Alexander is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: WR Junior Alexander
Projected Position: Wide Receiver
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
School: Burien (Wash.) Kennedy Catholic
Committed to: Arizona State

Frame: Long and high-cut with solid definition in arms. Tight chest and narrow waist. Straight lower base through thighs and calves. 

Athleticism: Fairly fluid and smooth athleticism/movement skills. Shows better quickness from secondary releases than off-line. Very good body control and ability to adjust to balls in flight. Disciplined eyes to track throws with natural judgement. Good-sized strike zone via natural ability to reach and pluck from all angles. Willing to deliver a good initial pop at the point on perimeter when asked to block. 

Instincts: Has savvy to raise pad level in midpoint to lull coverage to sleep. Can get his head and shoulders out of his framework to manipulate coverage hips and sell at top of his stems. Subtle push to maintain stack position on verts. Solid bam step/pressure step at breakpoints. Good vision, feel and mental processing of coverage. Is aware of safeties post-catch versus 2-shell looks. 

Polish: Aligns exclusively as No. 1 on left of all formations and sets. Uses a 3-step hesitation release versus press coverage, with an occasional shuffle release. Route tree features verts with solid bend, digs, delays, sluggos, posts, outs and comebacks. Lacks elite twitch and speed. Average RAC skills are compensated by reliability and natural receiving skill set. 

Bottom Line: Alexander is a key contributor on a talented team full of prospects. He doesn’t align with variety nor does he possess elite speed, yet he’s a pure and natural receiver of the football with good body control, savvy and hands. Alexander could see time both as a boundary X or off-ball Z receiver at the next level.