Bear Alexander praised Eric Henderson — “Coach Henny” — earlier this year at USC. Alexander claimed to know the value of receiving NFL-levle player development from USC’s newest defensive line coach. It turns out that praise really didn’t matter. Bear Alexander is transferring out of USC several months after rumblings that he would do so. That he waited until after the season started only reaffirms how much difficulty Bear Alexander had in making up his mind. It’s not the first time a USC football player has, in 2024, praised a coach and then gone out the door to the transfer portal. Recall Isaiah Raikes on D’Anton Lynn earlier this year:
“I knew their defense had a need for defensive linemen, and I wanted to come into somewhere where I felt like I could make a difference right away,” Raikes told (Trojans Wire’s Tim) Prangley. “Once I found out they were hiring Coach Lynn, that was definitely a big factor.”
“I know he can show me exactly what I need to do, and know exactly what he wants to see out of me to get drafted as high as possible,” Raikes said. He later added that “Physicality is a big thing. We got to be physical at the point of attack. We got to dominate, just taking over as a defensive line.”
The next time a USC player praises a coach, be sure to take it with a grain of salt, or at least be aware of the surrounding context.
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