Inside The Huskies

UW Adds Another Alexander to Shore Up the Linebacker Ranks

Xe'ree Alexander follows his older brother Lonyatta to Montlake.

Dan Raley

UCF Knights linebackers Ethan Barr adn Xe'ree Alexander, a one-time UW signee and a current one, tackle an ASU opponent.
UCF Knights linebackers Ethan Barr adn Xe'ree Alexander, a one-time UW signee and a current one, tackle an ASU opponent. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Consider it a straight up swap, Xe'Ree Alexander for Gaard Memmelaar.

A linebacker for an offensive guard.

A local kid coming home from Orlando for an Idaho guy headed to Disney World.

The University of Washington and University of Central Florida effectively trading players in the transfer portal.

On Saturday night, the 6-foot-2, 223-pound Alexander -- whose brother Lonyatta Alexander Jr. played Husky football as a wide receiver in 2022 -- will try Montlake on for size, as well, and do his best to help fill in Jedd Fisch's extra-thin linebacker ranks.

The speedy Alexander, who has played a season each for Idaho and UCF, pledged to the Huskies a day after one-time All-Pac-12 linebacker Jacob Manu announced he was coming from Arizona to finish his career at Washington.

They could be more than capable replacements for graduating starters Carson Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala, who are down to the Sun Bowl against Louisville on New Year's Eve and then they're done.

Alexander's commitment comes two days after the 6-foot-4, 315-pound Memmelaar, an 11-game UW starting offensive guard this past season, disclosed that he will be playing for UCF in 2025.

Alexander, who teamed with his brother at Kennedy Catholic High School, originally was committed to Arizona State, where his sibling played in 2021, but he backed off following the Sun Devils coaching change from Herm Edwards to Kenny Dillingham and ended up at Idaho.

He started six of 13 games and led the 9-4 and playoff-bound Vandals in tackles with 75 and was named as a All-Big Sky honorable mention and FSC Freshman Team selection.

Transferring to UCF, he opened seven of 12 outings for a 4-8 team and he had his moments. Against West Virginia, Alexander stacked up a career-best 17 tackles in a 31-21 loss. Earlier, he collected 11 tackles in a 38-35 defeat to Iowa State. He finished the season with 68 tackles.

With his head coach Gus Malzahn stepping down to become the Florida State offensive coordinator, this Alexander went back into the portal and will now play for his hometown team.

Alexander ironically lined up at linebacker at UCF next to Ethan Barr, who signed to play this season for Kalen DeBoer's Huskies and even attended the national championship game against Michigan in Houston, only to ask for his scholarship release once DeBoer headed to Alabama.

Brother Lonyatta, who's two years older, transferred from Arizona State to the UW and played one season for DeBoer's Huskies before he transferred to Montana State. He's now a starting receiver for a 15-0 team that will meet North Dakota State in the FCS national title game on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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