News broke on Wednesday night that USC defensive lineman Bear Alexander will exercise a redshirt and sit out the remainder of the 2024 season. 247Sports’ Connor Morrissette had the story first.
This news breaks as the Wisconsin Badgers prepare for their road trip to Los Angeles, California for Saturday’s matchup with the Trojans. Significant to the on-field matchup, it means USC will likely be without a key member of its defensive line rotation.
Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s Big Ten opener vs. USC
Alexander can redshirt if he appears in four games this season. He’s played in three, which means he can technically still suit up on Saturday. I’d say that result is extremely unlikely given the timing of this news.
The former top recruit had operated as mostly a depth piece at defensive line during the Trojans’ first three games of the season. He averaged 23 snaps per contest through three weeks and recorded just four total tackles.
The news leaves USC with a rotation of just four interior defensive linemen entering Saturday’s game against Wisconsin — Gavin Meyer, Nate Clifton, Kobe Pepe and Devan Thompkins. Alexander was still a significant piece of that rotation despite not emerging into the star that many expected him to be.
BREAKING: Bear Alexander intends to redshirthttps://t.co/N09G8mSR0V
— Connor Morrissette (@C_Morrissette) September 25, 2024
The news is another chapter in what has been a puzzling career for Alexander. He played on the national title-winning Georgia Bulldogs in 2022 before transferring to USC ahead of the 2023 season. His 2023 campaign on an FBS-worst USC defense included 12 starts, 660 total snaps, 48 tackles, 7 TFL, 1.5 sacks and 4 pass deflections.
His role diminished entering 2024 as USC transitioned to a new defensive coordinator in D’Anton Lynn, asAlexander missed most of the spring period while the defense was being installed and as the program brought in several experienced veterans at the position. His playing time, or lack thereof, has been a constant story in and around the Trojans program to begin the year.
This news clears up what it will look like for the team going forward. Alexander appears poised to transfer, thinking a third college program in four seasons will be where it finally clicks.
Wisconsin and USC are set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on CBS. The Trojans are fresh off a 27-24 loss to Michigan during which the Wolverines dominated on the ground, running for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Wisconsin will try to do the same against a shaky USC defensive front.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.