Bear Alexander came to Georgia from IMG Academy in Florida as the No. 50 overall player and No. 9 defensive lineman in the 247Sports composite rankings. Alexander transferred to USC in 2023. He has shown flashes of greatness for the Bulldogs and Trojans, but he has also disappeared in games. This is in part due to drawing double and even triple teams, but roster moves and development this year should free him up this season at USC. Lincoln Riley and the USC coaching staff are trying to get a message across to Bear Alexander.
Riley said:
“It’s really important. He missed the majority of spring and so this camp is really important for him to to get going in terms of what we’re doing defensively. I know we’ve talked a lot about the the defensive line changes and how we’re playing and schematically and all that, so it’s a very very important camp for him. He’s shown that he’s got the ability to be an explosive player, but he’s also been a player that his inconsistencies have hurt us like any other player’s inconsistencies are going to hurt you. Whether it’s effort all the time, whether it’s being in the correct gap playing blocks, whether you want to play them aligning correctly. It’s all those little things that where you step up from being a guy that flashes to a guy that I truly term a great player.
On the outside, a lot of people think, ‘Well, I see a couple highlight plays or a sack here, this play that ended up on the highlights.’ That ain’t a great player; that’s a great play. A great player is somebody that does just routine things over and over and over. Their bad plays are not very bad, and then they’re capable of having a really good play here and there. We need him to take more steps in that direction. I think he’s got great intent to do it, but this stretch for him is going to be very very important.”
The 2024 season will show us if Bear Alexander can take the next step in his development at USC. Maybe that next step is as simple as receiving Coach Riley’s challenge by sending a message of his own. Connor Morrissette from USCFootball.com reported Alexander’s message to the USC coaching staff just before the next Trojan practice started, “The first scholarship player out to practice today is Bear Alexander. ”
The first scholarship player out to practice today is Bear Alexander.
Lincoln Riley challenged Alexander yesterday after practice… pic.twitter.com/j0VncMOQUp
— Connor Morrissette (@C_Morrissette) August 14, 2024
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