The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have added yet another piece to the team, this time to bolster up the defensive line a little, by securing a commitment from defensive tackle Matthew Alexander from the UCF Knights.
Alexander comes to the Yellow Jackets after spending the last four with the Knights, redshirting his first year in the program and increasing his production every year since then, culminating in a stellar season in 2024, which saw the 6’3” 295-pound junior make 34 total tackles this season and a pass defended.
Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key continues a pattern that he has followed in the transfer portal: bringing back guys from their home state of Georgia. Alexander was a three-star recruit from Buford, Georgia, where he was a contributor on the 2019 state championship team.
Alexander could provide a hole needed for the Yellow Jackets, as the defensive line from this season will be all but split up, as players like Zeke Biggers, Kevin Harris, and Marius Scott will all be graduating, while Romello Height entered the transfer portal last week. Defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci likes to run a base 4-2-5 defense, which relies on the interior defensive linemen to get pressure on the quarterback and make plays in the rushing attack, so pairing Alexander with returning All-ACC Second Team defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg could be a great choice for the Yellow Jackets next season.
Alexander will have one year of eligibility remaining when he gets to the Yellow Jackets.