This is a series of articles we call "People You Should Know". Each week throughout the season we will hopefully spotlight a few of the many individuals around the great state of Alabama who work tirelessly behind the scenes to made high school sports great in our state.

We are talking today with Dexter Tolbert the founder of DexPreps.  If you do not know who Dex is or what they do over at DexPreps we are going to fill you in today.  Hopefully we will all learn something very important about the recruiting process for high school athletes.

1.       So when and how did you get started on this adventure?

I started in 2013 by helping a few local prospects and it took off from there. I wrote for Crimson and Blue Chips. John Garcia Jr. took me under his wing he helped improve my writing skills. He also invited me to be a part of formerly ScoutHSAlabama and Yellowhammer247 now YellowhammerFB. I also have the DexPreps Elite Camp Series it was spearheaded by my camp director Douglas Laister which I hope to start back up next year. 

2.       I know there have been many changes over the past ten years in recruiting some for the better and some for the worst. What are some of the changes you have seen in how kids are recruited today compared to ten years ago?

I think the biggest changes is social media presence. Colleges have people that control their recruiting pages. Ten years ago the high school coach would be the first person of contact when a college wanted to recruit a player. That's not always the case with the evolution of social media.

3.       What's the main thing you would tell parents about the recruiting process and what they should know before their star athlete goes down that slippery road?

Research research research. Surround yourself with reputable people that have your athlete's best interest at heart. I would tell parents to be honest with their athlete's skill level. Of course the goal is to get a full scholarship. However there is nothing wrong if your athlete doesn't go D1. There are plenty of other options (D2 , JUCO, prep schools, and NAIA) besides D1 in sports.

4.       I have been following you and what you have been doing for some time now and I firmly believe Dexter is one of the good guys. He is well respected in the recruiting community and does things the right way and for the right reasons. There are many so called recruiting experts popping up on Twitter and Snapchat who are looking out for themselves and not the best interest of the kids. Tell us a little about what you do and how you can honestly assist not just a player but a family through this process.

I send info of high school players to college coaches across the country. I help with film cut ups. I help prospects set up visits. I send info to some of the recruiting media sites as well. I'm always transparent I can't get a prospect an offer. However I can help put the correct set of eyes on a prospect that increases their goal of getting an offer.

5.       That sounds great Dexter. I have full confidence you are working diligently on the behalf of the athlete and their families. I hear you have your very own television show now talking about recruiting and the players. You told me you prefer to be in the background but how is that going and where can everyone find your show?

It's going great. I'm a little camera shy but I'm getting used to the camera. My show can be watched on  WEAC TV24 it's located in Oxford, Alabama.

6.       Tell us a little about some of the players you work with or have seen who we would call diamonds-in-the rough this year we need to be watching out for once the season opens.  

I'm not sure if there is enough room haha. On my show I feature DexDudes where I talk about diamonds in the rough. I think Jaxon Newton of Wellborn and Jay Ragland of Ashford are two prospects that will blow up this year. Of course there are many more that will make a name for themselves as well. 

You can follow DexPreps on Twitter or X at @DexPreps. Well Dexter, we will be watching out for those DexDudes in 2024. I want you to know that AHSFHS.org is behind you 100% and supports everything you do for these young men not only in Alabama but across the country.