Tag: bear alexander

USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander to enter transfer portal

Bear Alexander is set to head to the portal again. Should Texas have interest?

Former Georgia and current USC defensive lineman Bear Alexander looks to be headed to the transfer portal. The big name interior lineman is set to leave after a good season in Los Angeles.

Alexander went for 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss in his 2023 season. And while his role and value to the USC football squad is clear, he doesn’t appear to be sold on staying on head coach Lincoln Riley’s squad.

Alexander generated buzz from those interested in Texas’ football program when he entered the transfer portal last offseason. Once again the name creates intrigue for the Longhorns who have to replace T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy at the position.

If anywhere, defensive tackle is the one unsettling position group for the Texas football team. The uncertainty isn’t about whether or not Texas has quality players, but if those players are ready for the role they’ll be asked to play.

Texas is going to be considerably smaller on the interior without T’Vondre Sweat. That’s undeniable barring a surprise breakout from Sydir Mitchell. Adding another playmaker would be advantageous for the Longhorns. The question is whether or not Alexander is the right fit.

Last offseason, some speculated that Alexander entered the portal with a school picked out. That could be the case this spring. We’ll keep an eye on whether or not Texas has real interest in bringing Alexander to Austin.

Former Georgia DL Bear Alexander ejected for targeting

USC Trojans defensive tackle Bear Alexander, a Georgia transfer, ejected after a targeting penalty in the final moments of USC-Utah

Former Georgia Bulldogs defense tackle Bear Alexander, who now plays for the USC Trojans, was emotional after getting ejecting for targeting in the final two minutes of the USC-Utah game.

Alexander had a big game against Utah. He recorded seven total tackles, but had a couple of critical penalties against Utah.

As usual, most targeting plays are controversial. Alexander made contact with Utah’s quarterback in the head, but it was not with an incredible amount of force.

Utah went on to score a field goal in the final moments of the game to win 34-32 and end the College Football Playoff hopes of USC for a second straight season.

Bear Alexander thrives at making real-time decisions once a play begins

There’s no film from Week 3, since USC had the weekend off, but it’s a good time to look at past film on Bear Alexander.

USC hasn’t played since September 9, and the Trojans are massive favorites this coming weekend at Arizona State against a hollowed-out Sun Devil roster which has been plagued by injuries. USC doesn’t figure to be tested by the Devils, which takes away even more stress from what has been a stress-free September. This is a good time to go to the film room and look at USC players before the season heats up in mid-October against Notre Dame and then Utah.

USC football analyst Josh Webb pointed out what makes Bear Alexander special, using this ESPN video clip.

“This play is a small example of what Alexander brings to USC,” Webb explained. “It also highlights why he was sought after as a high school recruit. You find a player capable of making a difference and hungry for playing time on a defense desperately in need of someone with his exact skill set.

“The second highlight (0:09) in the video linked above shows Alexander’s teammate destroying two offensive linemen at once by pushing them back and opening up a lane for Alexander to come in and get the sack. The third play (0:56) is more of a traditional 0-technique getting a run stop because he won his rep and was in place to disengage and tackle. If Alexander and Anthony Lucas turn out to be really productive on the defensive line and Mason Cobb can be trusted to get after the backfield as a leader, that’s how losses against Utah turn into wins and College Football Playoff appearances.

“When I enjoyed most about Alexander in these video highlights was his ability to not only play his position but improvise and take what the defense gives him. By noticing his fellow player has opened up an opportunity for him and by using his natural intelligence, you can see Alexander making real-time decisions on these plays. Whenever Alexander scanned (0:21) the trenches and saw one of his people taking on a double block, he automatically disengaged from his own block so he could get after the ball carrier.”

Catch all of Ducks Wire’s Pac-12 team previews for the 2023 season:

Arizona — Arizona State — California — Colorado — Oregon State  — Stanford — UCLA — USC — Utah — Washington — Washington State

Georgia fans roast Bear Alexander after USC defense’s rough season opener

Georgia fans, who know what great defense looks like, laughed at USC’s defense. The Trojans have to change their identity.

Bear Alexander wasn’t supposed to be a superstar for USC in 2023, but he was supposed to offer something the Trojans didn’t have last year.

We wrote:

“The USC Trojans had Tuli Tuipulotu on last season’s roster and their 2022 defensive line. We’re not here to tell you that Bear Alexander is better than Tuli ever was, because Tuli was special for USC and the main reason last year’s bad defense wasn’t significantly worse. Tuipulotu carried the USC defense and was the only defensive lineman who displayed rock-solid reliability on a regular basis.

“All of that being said, however: Tuli isn’t the same kind of player Bear Alexander is.”

Bear Alexander wasn’t supposed to be the very best player on the USC roster, but he was supposed to fill a role and balance out this roster.

That could still happen, but it didn’t in the first game of the season against San Jose State.

Georgia fans, who lost Bear Alexander to USC, really enjoyed what they saw in the Trojans’ season opener. It might not be fun to read these tweets below, but they reinforce the point that USC’s defense is a punching bag. The Trojans need to take this very personally and work extremely hard to change their reputation and identity:

Bear Alexander is a true defensive tackle at USC, as opposed to being a hybrid

Some players can and will be shuffled among various spots, but teams also need role-specific players such as Bear Alexander.

Bear Alexander isn’t a speed rusher. He isn’t going to drop back in coverage the way rush end Korey Foreman did late in last season’s UCLA game. He knows what his role is.

We talked to USC football analyst Josh Webb for more on the Bear:

“Alexander is a true defensive tackle and that’s why he was so coveted among various schools,” Webb told us. “This isn’t a defensive end living out the last years of his time at defensive tackle; he has the height, weight, and body build to make it work. Alexander is not just large, he is absolutely quick as a cat. His burst off the line and ability to disengage from a block and get after the play are also why he was a top recruit. That’s the true zero-technique player USC needs to make a 3-3-5 and a 3-4 work. When you are only rushing three, you must have a man-eater on your defense to soak up double-team blocks, or opposing teams are going to tear your unit apart.

“It’s funny that the entire projected USC defensive line for this year will be made up of transfers. There are some true gems in this class, and if they all can work together to fill the gaps in last year’s defense, the new 2023 version will be among the best in the nation. It does not matter from whence the talent came, only that it flourishes. Alexander has that chance to thrive. Whatever bargain USC made to improve its defense, one hopes it pays off this season.”

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Oregon analyst says Bear Alexander is a good fit with USC in 2023

One @Ducks_Wire analyst is very high on Bear Alexander at USC.

Is Bear Alexander a better fit at USC than he ever would have been at Georgia? One Oregon football analyst seems to think so in his evaluation of top Pac-12 position players for the 2023 season:

(h/t Miles Dwyer of Ducks Wire)

“Some of the most notable transfers to the Pac-12 of this offseason were USC’s additions of several elite defensive linemen. The most prolific of those players is Bear Alexander, the former Georgia lineman. In the class of 2022, Alexander was one of the most sought-after linemen in the country. He ultimately chose Georgia, but after a year of low production, Alexander opted for a change of scenery.

“While much of Alexander’s game is unproven, all signs point to the idea that he is a much better fit with the Trojans than the Bulldogs, and after a year in FBS he will have gained enough experience to be an elite defensive lineman in the Pac-12.”

Catch all of Ducks Wire’s Pac-12 team previews for the upcoming season:

Arizona — Arizona State — California — Colorado — Oregon State  — Stanford — UCLA — USC — Utah — Washington — Washington State

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Bear Alexander: more than just a specialist at USC

Bear Alexander thinks he can have a more expansive role on #USC’s defense than he ever could have had at Georgia.

There is a place and a need for specialists in football. This doesn’t just apply to punters and placekickers, either. Specialists can be fourth receivers, tight ends, fullbacks, and dime defenders in the secondary. Several dozen players are on a roster, creating numerous avenues for individuals to make a unique contribution to a team. Specialists matter. Yet, football teams have to have “generalists” in addition to specialists. They need every-down players who can repeatedly make plays but do so in different ways.

Bear Alexander wants to be a generalist, not a specialist, as USC football analyst Josh Webb explains:

“Alexander feels his options at USC are greater than the ones he had at Georgia. It is not very often that a top-100 commit (No. 56) flips from a national champion,” Webb wrote.

“Alexander is 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds and is growing. With Georgia taking guys like him and turning them into highly-sought commodities in the NFL draft, it might seem counter-intuitive for Alexander to leave Kirby Smart for a coach like Lincoln Riley. Yet it’s precisely because Georgia has such a track record that Alexander felt he would play more at USC. Georgia primarily used him in third-down situations, but Alexander felt he was more effective on first and second downs.

“‘I feel as if there wasn’t a significant amount of snaps [at Georgia],” Alexander said to ESPN. “I was more of a pass-rush specialist in year one, so coming into the spring, I wanted to be in a position where I could show my versatility as a player. I felt like I wasn’t able to do that at Georgia. I was a third-down specialist, and I’m more of a first-, second-down player. I can play every down.'”

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Bear Alexander is dreaming big for USC this season

Bear Alexander does not have modest goals. He wants it all in 2023. The big Q: Can he live up to that standard? #USC

The fate of the 2023 USC football team will likely depend on how well the defense does. The offense is going to be great as long as Caleb Williams and most offensive line starters remain healthy. The defense has far more questions. It could be better, but we all need to see proof of concept before we assume it will be better.

One of the big new additions to that defense is raising the bar and putting forth a very high standard for himself.

Defensive lineman Bear Alexander, the transfer from Georgia, expects nothing less than domination. That’s his standard. That’s what he wants to achieve — not in the full course of his USC career, but this year, this season.

Alexander, other USC players, and USC coaches all met the press for USC media day in Los Angeles on Thursday. Alexander could not have been clearer or more direct in stating his goals. Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times relayed Alexander’s words to the public:

If Bear Alexander can live up to this standard, USC’s season will likely be a smashing success.

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The most important USC football players entering the 2023 season

This is a topic we fleshed out with @TrojanConquests, focusing mostly on the defense. We’ll add offensive players to this list.

Does USC have enough pieces on defense to make the College Football Playoff this season? We talked about this question in a separate piece, getting the insights of USC football analyst Tim Prangley.

The appropriate and primary point of focus for USC this season has to be the defense. We know the offense is going to be great as long as Caleb Williams and most of the offensive line remain healthy, but it’s on defense where USC faces so many questions. The hope within the program is that with another year of strength and weight training, plus added exposure to Alex Grinch’s scheme, guys will be more advanced in their physical development and their awareness of what’s happening on the field.

Then consider the new recruits (Tackett Curtis) and the transfer portal additions (Anthony Lucas, Christian Roland-Wallace, Mason Cobb, Jack Sullivan, and others) which will add depth to the roster. Then add the injured players who, if healthy, will give USC even more bodies: Domani Jackson and Romello Height come to mind here (and there are others).

Among these defensive players, which pieces are the most important ones? We will look at those indispensable defensive players, plus the biggest and most important offensive players, in this 2023 list, which will be unveiled below.

Here we go:

Four-star edge Kameryn Fountain will join Bear Alexander on USC front seven

Kameryn Fountain from Atlanta. Bear Alexander from Athens. #USC is “Georgia-fying” its front seven for 2024.

According to a report from 247Sports.com’s Steve Wiltfong, four-star Booker T. Washington Atlanta (GA) defensive lineman Kameryn Fountain has committed to USC.

Fountain chose USC over Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and a number of other power five programs. A lot of USC fans felt this particular recruitment rated as a surprise, but given the momentum the Trojans have under Lincoln Riley, maybe this should have been given a greater chance of happening.

What matters most: It did in fact happen.

The 6-foot-5, 237-pound Kam Fountain is ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 6 edge and No. 50 prospect overall for the 2024 class.

The USC Trojans’ 2024 recruiting class  has now jumped to No. 14 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. USC’s class ranks also takes a jump for 2024. The Trojans are now No. 4 in the Big Ten, having previously been ranked No. 18.

With Fountain and top 100 cornerback Dakoda Fields both committing to USC on Monday, the Trojans now have two top-100 prospects on defense in their 2024 class. That’s one more than the program had last cycle (Braylan Shelby).

Fountain, in 2024, will team with Bear Alexander to give USC’s front seven a distinct Georgia flavor.

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