4-Star Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre Signs With Alabama
Alabama's longest commitment of the 2023 recruiting class signed with the Crimson Tide on Wednesday.
Yhonzae Pierre plays outside linebacker and is listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. According to On3 Sports consensus rankings, Pierre is ranked No. 53 nationally, sixth at EDGE, and the seventh best player in the state of Alabama.
Pierre plays for Eufaula High School in Eufaula, Alabama. He is one of the few 2023 signees that will wait to enroll in the fall semester, as he is playing for basketball this winter.
The Tide earned Pierre's commitment towards the end of his junior year of high school. He verbally committed to Alabama April 14 and has been solid ever since.
Pierre is the cousin of former Alabama pass rusher Courtney Upshaw. In four years at Alabama, Upshaw recorded 17.5 sacks and 141 tackles. Upshaw most notably won Defensive MVP in the 2012 BCS Championship win over LSU. Pierre follows in his cousin's footsteps 15 years after Upshaw signed with the Tide in 2008.
In his senior season, Pierre recorded 64 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles. He helped lead Eufaula to a 8-3 season, coming up short in the first round of the 5A playoffs to Faith Academy.
Pierre played in the Alabama-Mississippi All Star Game, where he played against Mississippi's quarterback and Alabama signee Brayson Hubbard. Pierre recorded a strip sack against his future teammate.
The post-season honors did not stop after the all-star game, as he was honored Monday as a first-team 5A All-State.
Pierre joins Keon Keeley as Alabama's two EDGE prospects in the 2023 class. He is one of many in-state prospects to sign for the Crimson Tide including Wilkin Formby, Hunter Osborne, and Jahlil Hurley.