2023 Player Spotlight with "BIG TIME RECRUIT" Austin Alexander from Cooper High School, Ky

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Name
Austin Alexander
School
Cooper Highschool
Positions played
Edge, De, Wr, TE
Class
2025

How long have you played football, and what keeps you playing?
I’ve been playing since I was 6, and just my love of the game and love of winning keep me wanting more.

When the game is on the line, do you prefer to be on offense or defense? Explain.
I prefer being on defense because I have the opportunity going to get the Quarterback and end the game. There are more things that have to go right on Offense.

I have watched some of your HUDL stuff, and you are a freak on both sides of the ball. Which side do you enjoy playing the most? Explain.
I enjoy defense more, you get more freedom to fly around and make plays. It is just lots of fun to rock out like that.

Do you feel that you and your teammates are role models for the younger kids who come and watch you play?
I definitely feel like a role model to the kids at the game, I am able to show you can get recruited from Cooper, and doing things the right way will go a long way. Also, I am a very strong Christian and want to let kids know with Christ anything is possible.

If you could change one rule when it comes to high school football, what would it be and why?
I would probably change the NIL in Kentucky to allow kids to profit while they are in Kentucky and make money doing their thing.

Who is the best player you have faced, along with the team he played for, and what made him so tough?
The best player I ever faced was probably Cam Hergott from Beechwood. He was a re-class so like 19 and I was 14 as a Freshman. And he could run the mess out of the ball as a QB. He was very hard to take down.

Who has the best team you have ever faced, and what made them so good?
The best team I ever faced was this travel team in 8th grade. They were very fast, very aggressive, and had lots of swag.

With this being your season, are you approaching things any differently?
I am just trying to work on opening up my hips to be able to drop in coverage some more. And I am having more peace with my recruiting process, just watching it unfold.

How important is spring ball as far as preparing the team for the upcoming season?
Spring ball is very important as it allows us to see who’s really committed to playing. And it allows us to implement the plays and schemes into the younger players early so we can get them on the field earlier.

What do you believe are the three top things you have to improve on this season to get better on the field and show college coaches that you are the real deal?
I will need to improve my coverage drops as I haven’t had much work with it in my career. Then work on more aggression at the point of attack on runs specifically. And lastly, open field tackling, just need to solidify it.

Who is the one team you most want to beat this season, and why?
I would like to beat Highlands this year. It would be CovCath but for some reason, I don’t agree with, we don’t. But I would like to play Highlands because they are a valid opponent and we haven’t gotten them yet.

What did you learn about yourself during the 2022 season that you can use to be a better player this season?
I learned that my pass rush is as solid as I thought, and I need to abuse tackles this year and just continue to work.

Of all of the road games you have played, which one have you enjoyed the most?
I enjoyed playing either at the Highlands stadium last year it was very cool. Or playing at the Bird House against Scott County, that was excellent.

Have you heard from any colleges about playing football, and would you name some of them?
Some of the colleges that have hit me up are Ohio State, Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan, Louisville, Duke, and Alabama.

What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is probably Proverbs because it just guides your life to just keep you set. Or the Gospels, Matthew Mark Luke, and John. All of these are in the bible.

Other than playing sports, what is your favorite hobby?
Other than playing sports I speak at different places and share the Word of God. And also I make music. Mainly playing the piano. I'm on the piano for hours each day

What is one food you enjoy that most others do not?
I personally enjoy Sweet Potato shakes!

[VetteMan]

Austin must be quite the athlete, as he has just completed his Sophomore year and is most certainly hearing from some of the "Blue Bloods" of college football. Good luck this upcoming season, hope you have an injury free Junior year. Good interview.