In a later move than most, the USC football program lost one of its premium defenders to the transfer portal on Tuesday. Despite housing one of the best offensive attacks in the country last season, USC struggled on defense, coughing up 34.4 points per game. However, former four-star recruit and Georgia Bulldogs transfer Bear Alexander played well for the Trojans, finishing in the top six regarding sacks, TFLs, and tackles. Unfortunately for the former Pac-12 club, Alexander will enter the transfer portal, signaling the end of his brief stop with USC, per Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports.
It’s not just USC feeling the sting of the transfer portal. Tuesday saw a flurry of activity, with teams like the Miami Hurricanes and the Oregon State Beavers losing key players. The Hurricanes will have to adjust without edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly, who announced his plans to leave Miami, while the Beavers face the loss of former 1,000-yard rusher Damien Martinez. The era of the transfer portal and player empowerment through NIL continues to actively change the landscape of college football.
DL Bear Alexander: Leaving USC Football
Bear Alexander will enter the transfer portal after just one season with the USC Trojans. Alexander, a former four-star recruit, started his college career with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2022. He posted solid numbers in limited action, tallying nine tackles, three TFLs, and two sacks across 12 games. Alexander posted two TFLs in a blowout win against the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff Championship. However, he entered the transfer portal after his true freshman season.
Alexander landed with USC in 2023, collecting 48 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks across 13 games. He led the Trojans with two forced fumbles and four QB hurries. The six-foot-three, 313-pound defensive lineman earned a spot on the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 First-Team. His best outing came in late September against Arizona State, registering five tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and a sack in a Trojans victory. Potentially replacing Bear Alexander on the defensive line is Texas A&M transfer Isaiah Raikes. He had three TFLs last season for the Aggies.
USC Trojans: Gearing Up for Post-Caleb Williams Era
For the first time with Lincoln Riley at the helm, the USC Trojans will play without quarterback and future first-overall draft pick Caleb Williams. The 2022 Heisman Trophy Award winner threw for 8,170 yards, 72 touchdowns, and ten picks in two seasons while donning the red and white. The Trojans will likely turn to redshirt junior quarterback Miller Moss after a strong showing in last season’s finale. Miller went 23-of-33 for 372 and six scores against Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.
USC also brought in signal-caller Jayden Maiava via the transfer portal. Maiava threw for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns with UNLV last season. The Trojans are still looking at placing inside the top ten of the AP ranking come season end, something they have not achieved since 2016.
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