EUGENE, Ore. — Kam Alexander remains on the rise.
A lightly-recruited prep athlete, Alexander began his career at Sam Houston State before transferring to UTSA last fall. The corner maximized his time in San Antonio, spending just one year there before reentering the portal to again move up the college football ladder.
Now at Oregon, Alexander is hoping to prove he can compete with the nation's best. With the Ducks he'll have the necessary stage to draw NFL interest, and it'll be up to him to make the most of this year.
"Coach is helping me get better at the game of football, honestly," he told reporters on Saturday afternoon. "I'd say it's different [at this level] because it's a lot of moving parts and you've got to know everything, instead of knowing just one thing. I would say that the coaches do give me good pointers and good tips in order for me to get to the next level. I'd say the process has been going smooth."
What sold Alexander on heading west?
"They were showing me everything. They were just matching my game with their game. It was the perfect fit in a sense. That's why I made this decision," he said of his visit and film review with coaches.
Alexander earned the right to be at a school like Oregon. His one season with the Roadrunners was a roaring success. He broke up 15 passes and intercepted two more on his way to first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.
"I would say just speed, making plays, making a lot of plays," Alexander said of what he put on tape last fall to get this opportunity. "That's all I got for you."
Alexander's speed has stuck out in Eugene too. The senior has been able to remain hip-to-hip with just about anyone put in front of him, head coach Dan Lanning says.
"He's got great speed and athleticism. I think he matches routes well," he said. "He's been a guy who can run with anybody out here. He's a high-speed guy, which is a great trait to have at corner."
His position coach shared a similar assessment earlier this month. The first words out of Chris Hampton's mouth were "he's really fast", followed by praise for his commitment to his craft.
"He takes really good notes in meetings — really really good notes. He asks good questions. He's been fun to coach," Hampton said on April 4.
Per Lanning, they've continued to challenge Alexander's physicality, especially as a tackler.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds at UTSA, Alexander believes he has the size could differentiate him from others on Oregon's roster.
"They don't have very many big cornerbacks, so I fit perfect with my size. Looking at that just gave me a good sense of confidence with being able to get on the field over here," he said.
Although Alexander was a starter at both his past two stops, there's no guarantee he will be one at Oregon. The Ducks return starter Jahlil Florence, who remains out with injury, along with veteran corners Dontae Manning and Nikko Reed. They've also added Jabbar Muhammad from Washington, an All-Pac-12 pick a year ago, along with a pair of top prep recruits (Ify Obidegwu and Dakoda Fields) and the nation's No. 1 ranked junior college corner (Sione Laulea).
He's approaching the competition with the appropriate urgency, he believes.
"There's been a lot of competing, and every play, it counts, you have to make every play count. It's been heavy on competing," he said.
Alexander will get his first chance to play before a crowd inside Autzen Stadium next weekend. The annual spring game is set for April 27 with a 1 PM start time.