The defensive lineman seemed bound for the portal Tuesday, but a conversation with coach Lincoln Riley and new DL coach Eric Henderson helped change his mind
USC defensive lineman Bear Alexander meets with reporters during the team’s preseason media day on Thursday, July 27, 2023. LOS ANGELES — The tide changed in the past 24 hours with one extended conversation, USC head coach Lincoln Riley and new defensive line coach Eric Henderson making their pitches to sway Bear Alexander to remain a Trojan.
Reports and rumors quickly spread throughout the day, anticipating USC would lose a defensive-line presence who’d shown flashes of dominance in 2023 and carried clear potential. With Alexander and Texas A&M transfer Isaiah Raikes entrenched at defensive tackle, the Trojans now have two SEC-level bodies to clog up the middle on their defensive line, a clear step toward the size and physicality up front Riley’s emphasized in USC’s attempt at a defensive turnaround.
“The elements that he’s gon’ get under Coach Henny,” the source told the Southern California News Group, “you can’t even really quantify that with a dollar amount.”
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