Jaire Alexander turning pro, won’t play in TaxSlayer Bowl

Junior cornerback Jaire Alexander will enter the NFL Draft and will skip Louisville’s TaxSlayer Bowl game against Mississippi State on Dec. 30. The story was first broken by Brett McMurphy.

Alexander informed Louisville coach Bobby Petrino of his decision Friday morning.

"I know it was a very difficult decision for Jaire," Petrino said in a statement. "I appreciate the contributions he made to the program over the last three seasons, and I wish him all the best in the future."

A first team AP All-American before the start of the season, Alexander’s junior year at Louisville was cut significantly short by a leg injury he suffered during the team’s season-opening win over Purdue. He appeared in only five games after that, playing at full strength only in U of L’s final three contests.

Alexander was a second-team all-ACC performer in 2016 after leading the team with five interceptions in 2016. He picked off a pair of passes in a loss to nationally ranked Clemson and two more in a road win at Virginia. Alexander was also a lethal weapon on special teams, housing a punt return for a touchdown in Louisville’s 63-20 throttling of Florida State.

Like everyone, I’d love to see Jaire competing one last time in a Cardinal uniform, but I can’t fault him at all for making the decision he feels like is best for himself and his family. Best of luck to Jaire as he moves forward with the pre-draft process.