RECRUIT COMMITMENT: Alabama Crimson Tide adds seven five-star players to their roster

It’s been a wild ride for the prospect cornerback Desmond RexHowever, the Five Stars made up their minds to sign with Alabama.

The Chesapeake, VA native (currently at IMG) is 6’1″ 170 lbs. The five-star was re-rated to the class of 2023 shortly after turning 18 in October of 2022. Even though he’s moved up in class, he’s still ranked 2nd ranked linebacker by 247sports composite rankings and 23rd overall.

Rex started visiting campus in the early spring and made his way to Tuscaloosa in April of this year. He seemed to be heading toward Miami, Florida, LSU and Alabama, attending games for each of them during the 2022 season. Then in October came the news of the reclassification. After this announcement, his first official visit to Alabama was for the Iron Bowl. This was followed by an OV of Florida December 2 and Baton Rouge December 16. At this point, it seemed like the Tigers had the upper hand. That feeling lingered until sometime Thursday when recruiting boards started rumbling that LSU had slipped and Bama was the new favorite. Rex sure is committed to Alabama.

Rex is a pure cover angler, which is the attitude that the Tides definitely need.

…Long, fast, explosive and physical. Build your outstanding youth soccer career in Virginia before moving to Florida and transferring to the national powerhouse representing IMG Academy for your final two years of high school. He was initially a member of the 2024 recruiting cycle, but was reclassified to the class of 2023 in October of 2022 shortly after turning 18. He can run and — more importantly — find the football, which is an important skill to have in an era when most offensive coordinators want to expand the field. Instead, he was put to the test in battle with a guy who saw a lot of targets come his way on Friday nights and 7-on-7 circuit/camp. He usually holds his own coverage, and has a higher success rate in 50-50 situations, but he still gives up some long wins and can get caught while he’s roaming. He must be able to minimize errors as he refines his technique and learns how to consistently get wide receivers off the schedule. I spent a good portion of twelfth grade working indoors at one of the most gifted high schools in the country. He could potentially be deployed as a slot corner on Saturdays, but Ceiling seems to be the top end as a wide defender due to his long stride and ability to knock out lanes his size. It should continue to progress and get better at anticipating/feeling in ways, but should be viewed as a multi-year starter and potential player for all of the Power Five-level conferences. The favorite frame (over 6-foot-1) and elite test profile (4.5 in the 40-yard dash to go along with a vertical jump of roughly 39 inches) will probably be on the radar of NFL scouts someday. ~ 247sports.com

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Rex chose Alabama over LSU and Florida. Robert Gillespie And the Travares Robinsonn credit for recruitment. The commitment moves Alabama’s No. 1 into the stratosphere.

#RollTide #NSD23