Sports

Lincoln Riley’s Silence After Oblivious Bear Alexander Take Contradicts Staff Member’s Recent Assertion

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USC football coach Lincoln Riley on the field during a game vs. Michigan.

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Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans landed a big-time commitment from former five-star defensive lineman Bear Alexander in the 2023 offseason, but after a year and some change, the marriage is over.

Alexander announced his plan to redshirt, opting to sit out the rest of the campaign despite playing in the Trojans‘ first four games.

That decision will allow the 315-pound junior to save a season of eligibility with plans of transferring out of the program at year’s end. Playing time appears to have been the biggest factor.

Alexander’s unhappiness was noted, with both the big man and his father recently voicing frustrations online.

“But s– what y’all want from him with 21 f—ing snaps?” his dad replied to a follower on X after the Michigan game. “But let’s watch every snap from the interior defensive lineman this game and let’s see who the f— was WHO. My son won’t be the scapegoat. If you ask me, he had the best game inside, in only 21 f—ing snaps.”

Bear Alexander had a similar take on his usage after the loss to the Wolverines.

The defensive tackle is averaging just 23 snaps a game this year, a more than 50% cut from the season prior in Los Angeles.

Despite the criticisms from Alexander and his camp, head coach Lincoln Riley seemed oblivious.

“He played over a third of the [Michigan] game,” Riley said in a media appearance Tuesday. “There’s no story there. I know you guys are looking for one – but there’s no story.”

Just 24 hours later, Alexander made his transfer intentions known.

Lincoln Riley won’t comment on the Bear Alexander situation.

He’s opted not to discuss the redshirt – a decision made all the more confusing by a staff member’s recent assertion.

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn was asked about the transfer on Wednesday once it was made public. He skirted the question while insisting that Riley would be handling all personnel related inquires in his next interview.

That interview came and went without so much as a peep on the situation.

Lincoln Riley doesn’t have time for the guys that don’t want to be a part of his team!

Bear Alexander’s decision is one that’s become a trend over the first month of the season. Just before the defender made his plan clear, UNLV players Matthew Sluka and Michael Allen announced similar intentions.

In Sluka’s case, the decision was NIL related. For Allen, it was playing time.

Coaches have called for change surrounding the always open transfer portal while begging for guardrails as they pertain to NIL. Until the NCAA implements a new strategy, these occurrences will continue!