Pitt flips defensive end Deslin Alexandre
Pitt has flipped three-star defensive end Deslin Alexandre of Deerfield Beach (Fla.) from conference opponent North Carolina State. Find out what that means for the Panthers
Pitt received its 18th commitment of the 2017 class on Friday evening when defensive end Deslin Alexandre flipped to Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers program. Alexandre had previously been committed to North Carolina State, but flipped in the wake of an official visit that began on the weekend of December 9th. Alexandre made this visit to Pitt on the last weekend he had available to do so prior to the start of the dead period on December 12th and his early enrollment in January.
Alexandre is a 6-foot-3, 229-pound defensive end who’s rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He initially committed to North Carolina State before flipping to Pitt and holds offers from schools like Rutgers, Syracuse, UCF, South Florida, Cincinnati, and others in addition to the Panthers and Wolfpack.
Alexandre is a native of Deerfield Beach (Fla.), located in southern Florida’s Broward County and a little over an hour north of Miami. He is Pitt’s fourth commitment from the state of Florida. Alexandre joins Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage wide receiver Dontavius Butler, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla. )offensive tackle Jerry Drake, and Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker Albert Tucker in Pitt’s class from the Sunshine State.
Alexandre’s size and length likely lend themselves to staying at the defensive end position. He may well be larger than his listed 6-foot-3 at the moment and as he adds weight and strength in a college strength and conditioning program, Alexandre could grow quickly. Alexandre will join Worthington (Ohio) Kilbourne lineman Carson Van Lynn as the second defensive end in Pitt’s 2017 class.
The commitment of the Deerfield Beach standout will give Pitt a leg up in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings and move them ahead of several conference opponents. While the Panthers were ranked 47th in the country prior to his commitment, stealing Alexandre from North Carolina State would boost Pitt’s class to the 41st class overall. This move leaps Pitt ahead of ACC foes Virginia (46th), NC State (47th), and North Carolina (43rd), among other programs.
Stay tuned for more information on Alexandre’s commitment and decision to choose Pitt in the moments following the announcement. You can view Alexandre’s senior mid-season highlights at this link, as full season highlights are not yet available.
