HomeSportsUSC DL and former 5-star recruit Bear Alexander defers remainder of 2024

USC DL and former 5-star recruit Bear Alexander defers remainder of 2024

Former top 10 talent Bear Alexander does not want to use his one-year eligibility this season.

The USC defensive tackle will redshirt the remainder of the 2024 season after not playing a significant role in USC’s defense through the first three games of the season. Alexander was the No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 9 prospect overall in the 2022 high school class when he signed with Georgia.

Alexander has four tackles in three games so far in 2023. He appeared in 13 games a season ago for the Trojans and had 48 tackles with seven tackles for loss. That was his first season at USC after spending his freshman year at Georgia. He had nine tackles in 12 games with the Bulldogs.

USC coach Lincoln Riley told reporters Tuesday that “there is no story” when it comes to rumors of Alexander leaving. He also noted that USC has improved its offense this season compared to 2023.

“He played more than a third of the game [against Michigan],” Riley said, via Rivals’ TrojanSports.com. “So people want to pretend that this guy doesn’t play snaps. He’s doing a good job here for us. He’s getting better. There’s no story there. I know you guys are looking for it, there’s no story there. This guy’s working hard here, he’s improving, he’s in a new system with a new coach. He’s getting better. I think he’s going to keep getting better. It should be tough to play D-line at USC. It should be pretty tough. It wasn’t tough last year, and that’s why we weren’t that good there. We’re pretty good there, and it’s tough, and the margins are thin.”

USC is in its first season with D’Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator. Lynn replaced Alex Grinch, who came to USC with Riley from Oklahoma.

See also  Dodgers get their parade, outlining the best moments from 2024 and where LA is headed in 2025 | Baseball Bar-B-Cast

Players can play in up to four games in a season and still retain their redshirt, so Alexander could theoretically still appear in one game without losing his ability to retain a season of eligibility. It is unclear at this time whether the move is a precursor to Alexander entering the transfer portal at the end of the season.

- Advertisement -
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments