USC’s Bear Alexander still working to crack the starting lineup

LOS ANGELES — Two months ago, this was a perfect fit.

Two months ago, USC’s Bear Alexander was several months removed from the spring transfer portal will-he won’t-he that new defensive line coach Eric Henderson had no intention of reliving, and neither did anyone else. Alexander acknowledged and understood the importance of keeping his motor and consistency high. He was a barnacle on the walls in Henderson’s office, and Alexander appeared ready for a breakout season.

Two months later, the man who wears No. 90 has yet to start a game for USC this season and he received 21 snaps against Michigan on Saturday. On Monday, he posted a few pictures of himself on Twitter with the caption: “FREE 9-OWE.”

The USC defensive line is much improved. Alexander, who was the Trojans’ leader in quarterback hurries in 2023, has played a backup role behind Vanderbilt transfer Nate Clifton and Wyoming transfer Gavin Meyer. In mid-August, head coach Lincoln Riley made clear fall training camp would be “really, really important” for Alexander after he missed the spring due to injury. Before USC’s first game against LSU, Riley said Alexander was “still very young on the football field” and had a “long ways to go” despite rapid improvement.

And on Tuesday, asked yet again about Alexander’s usage, Riley said the defensive tackle is a contributor and is continuing to improve.

“He played over a third of the game,” Riley said. “So, I mean, people want to act like the guy’s not playing snaps. He’s doing a good job for us out here. He’s getting better.”

“There’s no story there,” Riley continued. “I mean, I know you guys are looking for one. Like, there’s – there’s no story there.”

But there is an active social media conversation. Alexander’s post on Monday morning helped contribute to it and his guardian Tony Jones – who had previously described Alexander and Henderson’s relationship as a “match made in heaven” to the Southern California News Group – continued it. Over the course of two days, Jones has posted eight separate clips of reps from Alexander or other USC defensive tackles against Michigan to his timeline, including a clip of Meyer getting blocked captioned “#91 #oneonone #movement.”

“NO DEFENSIVE TACJLE IS BETTER THAN MY SON, in the NATION,” Jones tweeted Tuesday. “I respect those guys, but damn fool I don’t think they are better than Bear.”

Riley brushed off the social media comments on Tuesday, pointing to emotions running high after a loss.

“Everybody needs to just relax,” Riley said. “Everybody’s going to be fine. I can’t control what parents or what anybody else says. I can control what’s happening in these walls, and I’m perfectly comfortable with where it is.”

Alexander has recorded two pressures and two hurries in 69 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to one pressure and one hurry in 86 snaps for Meyer and the same numbers in 96 snaps for Clifton. But USC’s overall level of defensive play is significantly improved.

The junior is in a new system, Riley pointed out, with a new coach in D’Anton Lynn. He has improved and will continue to get better.

And it should be “hard,” Riley emphasized, to carve out time on the defensive line at USC.

“It wasn’t hard last year,” Riley said. “And that’s why we weren’t very good up there.”

“You know what?” he continued. “We’re pretty decent up there. And it’s hard. And the margins are thin. So, sometimes it’s not what somebody’s not doing. It’s competitive and there’s tough decisions to make every week.”

Lake McRee will return

After USC’s Lake McRee was hit low on a pass in the second half and came up limping, shedding tears while sitting on the sideline, it was easy to fear the worst for a tight end who had previously suffered two ACL tears.

But Riley gave encouraging news for both USC and McRee’s future on Tuesday: he will be out “probably for the next couple of weeks,” the head coach said, but back before the end of the season.

Riley, too, added he didn’t fault the Michigan defender who hit McRee low, but argued such a hit shouldn’t be legal in college football.

“That makes the game no better,” Riley said, “and that’s something that just should not happen in my opinion.”