LOS ANGELES — The tide has changed over the past 24 hours with a lengthy conversation, with USC head coach Lincoln Riley and new defensive line coach Eric Henderson making their pitches to convince Bear Alexander to remain a horse of Troy.
On Tuesday morning, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Southern California News Group that Alexander, a former transfer from Georgia and a cornerstone of USC’s defensive rebuild, plans to enter the transfer portal when the transfer window spring opened in mid-April. He and his family had sat down and assessed their situation, believing that Alexander would be better served closer to home in Texas.
Reports and rumors spread quickly throughout the day, anticipating that USC would lose a presence on the defensive line that had shown flashes of dominance in 2023 and presented obvious potential.
Riley, Henderson, Alexander and his family all responded to a group call, during which Riley made it “clear as day” — as the source put it — that he didn’t want to lose Alexander.
On Wednesday morning, Alexander put an end to a whirlwind of rumors with a direct address on Twitter.
“I’m not very clear on all the noise or what this gate mess is…I’m here to finish what I started,” Alexander wrote, “and that is chasing a game here at USC with my teammates.”
With Alexander and the transfer of Isaiah Raikes to Texas A&M, the Trojans now have two SEC-level bodies to clog up the middle of their defensive line, a clear step toward the size and physicality up front that Riley highlighted in the USC defensive attempt. turn around. And after a season with 48 tackles and four QB rushes, Alexander has a clear opportunity to become an NFL prospect under Henderson, who has made an immediate impact in recent months after five years of coaching the line Rams defense.
On the call, the source said, Henderson laid out his summer plans for Alexander, detailing training and a development process similar to how he worked with former Rams great Aaron Donald. Large NIL offers are likely being placed elsewhere for Alexander should he enter the portal; Ultimately, the source said, Alexander chose to stay at USC and work with Henderson rather than absorb the consequences of transferring again.
“The stuff he’s going to get under Coach Henny,” the source told Southern California News Group, “you can’t even really quantify with a dollar amount.”
Alexander’s confirmed presence gives USC some breathing room, as the Trojans have plenty of young depth in the middle of their defensive line but little proven talent beyond Alexander and Raikes. And it will end a whirlwind few days, with Alexander seen as a key part of USC’s defense heading into the Big Ten.
California Daily Newspapers
