Former USC defensive lineman has chosen to forgo the rest of his junior season to maintain an additional year of college football eligibility. He will use a one-time redshirt and plans to pursue opportunities at his third program in four years.
The former four-star recruit finally spoke about his unusual decision over the weekend.
Ranked as the No. 15 player at his position in the 2022 recruiting class, Alexander initially committed to Georgia before transferring to USC, drawn partly by a new apartment in downtown Los Angeles.
Despite the anticipation surrounding the 6-foot-3, 315-pound tackle’s potential to enhance USC’s defense, his performance in the 2023 season was solid but not exceptional, recording 47 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The season was emotionally charged for him.
It sounds like there’s some speculation around Alexander potentially re-entering the transfer portal, especially given his limited playing time and recent performances. If he’s feeling underutilized, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to consider other options. The Instagram post might indicate his frustration or desire for a change. It’ll be interesting to see what he decides to do next!
Due to concerns about playing time, Alexander will not finish the season. The Trojans played without him on Saturday and will continue to do so for the next seven weeks.
Bear Alexander is leaving.
In college football, every player can use one redshirt season within their four years of eligibility without any issues. Coaches usually make this decision to protect players with potential who aren’t yet ready for significant game action.
However, that’s changing!
With the rise of NIL and the transfer portal, athletes are now opting to redshirt on their own terms. Alexander announced last week that he will sit out the remainder of the year and plans to transfer in December.
This will be his eighth school in nine years.
- 2018 – Terrell High School (TX)
- 2019 – Skyline High School (TX)
- 2020 – Denton High School (TX)
- 2021 – IMG Academy (FL)
- 2022 – Georgia
- 2023 – USC
- 2024 – Three games at USC, self-redshirt
- 2025 – ???
Alexander spoke about his decision for the first time in an interview with TMZ Sports.
As anticipated, the desire for more playing time appears to be the main reason behind Alexander’s unprecedented decision. He wants to be on the field, but USC wasn’t providing him with enough snaps.
Missing the spring, but coming back, taking reps over the course of practice and evaluating it as a whole. We felt like once we got to Michigan, it was pretty much figured out from there.
— Bear Alexander via TMZ
His father significantly influenced the decision to redshirt, which raises some concerns.
We talked about it. [Lincoln Riley] and my dad just worked through it. In terms of what he said, we just wanted to make it clear. We the guy, we’ve been wanted to be the guy.
— Bear Alexander via TMZ
It’s uncertain what Bear Alexander’s next steps will be. There have been hints about a possible return to the SEC, but it’s too early to speculate on his future program.
In the meantime, Alexander will continue to root for his former teammates. He claims that he will “always be a Trojan,” even though he is no longer a Trojan.
In the meantime, Alexander will continue to root for his former teammates. He claims that he will “always be a Trojan,” even though he is no longer a Trojan.
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