kansascity
Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Austin Alexander continues to support his favorite NFL team from afar. The redshirt sophomore from the Chicago area wears a Bears jumpsuit when watching games and firmly believes the 6-2 Bears will win the Super Bowl. The Bears recently defeated the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 34-17 and will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Alexander's connection to Chicago extends beyond fandom. He models his game after former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, known as "Peanut," and excelled at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, recording 70 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and two interceptions as a senior. A Class 5A Illinois High School Coaches Association all-state selection, he chose Kansas over offers from Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and others.
During recruiting, Alexander befriended fellow cornerback Jalen Todd, a junior from Detroit. The two shared many visits and decided to attend Kansas together. "We had the same offers so a lot of the visits we went on together," Alexander said. "It was kind of an accident. I'd see him on a visit and I was like, 'Oh wow, hey, how you doing?' Then I'd see him on another visit and we just started talking. When we came to Kansas, we visited together and he was like, 'We're both going to come here.' So that was cool."
On the field, Alexander and Todd have formed a strong partnership. Entering Saturday's game against UCF, Todd has 22 tackles (14 solo) and Alexander has 15 (13 solo). Alexander has started all eight games and produced steadily, including four tackles (three solo) against Missouri, three solo tackles against Utah, and three tackles with a solo tackle for loss against Baylor. He also returned a blocked field goal 88 yards for a touchdown against Missouri, marking KU's first blocked kick return for a score since Cobee Bryant's 61-yard return against Tennessee Tech in 2022.
In last week's 22-16 loss at TCU, Alexander and Todd were on the field for a crucial defensive stand before halftime. With eight seconds left and TCU facing fourth-and-2 at the KU 2-yard line, Horned Frogs quarterback Jaden Craig threw a short pass to tight end Jacobe Hayes. Junior safety Taylor Davis delivered a punishing hit on Hayes, stopping him short of the goal line and preserving KU's 13-0 halftime lead. "That was great," Alexander said. "I was standing on my guy and I saw T.D. fly across my face and hit the guy. I was like, 'Wow.' I just knew he didn't get in. He actually hit the ref. The ref flew under the piano. He just came and took everybody out." Alexander clarified that it was literally a piano—the band was positioned next to the sideline, and the referee landed under the keyboard.
Key Analysis
KU coach Lance Leipold has observed consistent growth from Alexander, nicknamed "Double A" by teammates. "I think the one thing about Austin that you've continued to see is his growth in this program," Leipold said. "As he's gotten bigger and stronger, he's played more physical and gained the confidence needed there. Jalen Todd and Austin—it was very apparent to us when we had a chance to recruit them that they were not only talented, but they're top quality young men. And you can see what great people they are, and we're glad to have them here."
KU (3-5, 1-4 Big 12) hosts UCF (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday. UCF upset then-No. 2 BYU 39-31 in double overtime two weeks ago before losing to Baylor 41-9 last week; both games were in Florida. The Knights have lost 12 straight road games. Alexander won't attend the Champions Classic at Chicago's United Center on Tuesday, where KU basketball faces Kentucky, due to the team's schedule, but he has played in the building before—during an eighth-grade tournament. "I got in the last few seconds of the game, but I got to play in there," he said. Alexander, whose first sport was swimming, began playing football at age 5 and added basketball later. He became serious about football as a high school sophomore. "My freshman year I was playing up a little bit, but I mainly played JV," he said. "But then sophomore year I moved up to varsity and I realized I could compete with the guys on the field. So I was like, I'm going to take this seriously."
Originally reported by kansascity.