The #13 USC Trojans lost a veteran defensive lineman in Bear Alexander last night after the athlete quit the team and redshirt.
Alexander, a former five-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, originally signed with the Georgia Bulldogs. Alexander spent a season with the Bulldogs before transferring to USC in search of playing time.
Last season, the defensive lineman was a rotational piece for the Trojans defensive staff and recorded solid playing time. Alexander had 47 total tackles, two pass defenses, and 1.5 sacks, but the team as a whole did not perform well.
Bear Alexander’s Timeline:
February 2021 – Commits to Georgia
June 2021 – Decommits from Georgia
October 2021 – Commits to Georgia
January 2022 – Enrolls at Georgia
April 2023 – Enters Transfer Portal, transfers to USC
Today – Intends to Redshirt, and Enter Transfer Portal pic.twitter.com/ejzx7npTVN
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 26, 2024
The defensive lineman previously entered his name into the transfer portal during the offseason, but exited the portal and returned to USC.
So far into the 2024 season, Alexander has recorded five tackles in three games and has played significantly less. Senior Wyoming transfer Gavin Meyer has been the primary starter at the defensive tackle position, which is where Alexander is known to play. Coach Lincoln Riley previously stated that increased competition has led to Alexander seeing less playing time.
After Trojans fans and college football fans alike received news of Alexander sitting out the remainder of the season, the responses were not too pleasant. Alexander is now the third known player to sit out and redshirt a season due to issues with his current staff.
Bear Alexander getting displaced from the hole on the game changing play and then going on a twitter rampage for more playing time, and then immediately quitting is just an all timer for me 😂 https://t.co/wedX3jD7JQ
— Kalel Smash- Ji〽️〽️y 🅿️ (@JimboPete6) September 26, 2024
Bear Alexander giving this up and transferring from usc today just because he got less playing time because he himself wasn’t playing well is wild https://t.co/pO48iNtbCY
— John (@iam_johnw) September 26, 2024
Many analysts and reporters who have covered the news have expressed beliefs that Alexander might have had other issues with the Trojans as well.
Alexander had been playing a significant amount of the game, per coach Riley, and was likely going to continue to be a contributor on defense.
Lincoln Riley on Bear Alexander’s role:
“He played over a third of the game. So people want to act like the guy’s not playing snaps. He’s doing a good job for us out here. He’s getting better. There’s no story there. I know you guys are looking for one — there’s no story there.” pic.twitter.com/vaQ1O6JWuc
— Ryan Young (@RyanYoungRivals) September 25, 2024
USC Trojans Lose Solid Defensive Player in Bear Alexander to Playing Time Issues
While Alexander claims that playing time was his issue, there might be more to the puzzle as the defensive lineman has been ineffective on the field.
Alexander is currently on track to have his worst collegiate season, if the defensive lineman were to play the entire season. Despite playing 39 pass rush snaps, Alexander only recorded two hurries for the Trojans’ defense. The defensive lineman also has a missed tackle this season, which was an issue he had a year ago that hurt the USC defense.
Alexander was once considered to be a ‘three and gone’ type of player, who would play until he was draft-eligible. However, his career has been sent in the opposite trajectory largely due to his own play.
The defensive lineman could enroll in a different program in January, upon the completion of his current academic semester. That would allow Alexander to work with a team for several months before being able to hit the field with the starting lineup.
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