Alexander says he’s not in portal, to stay at USC

A day after it was widely reported that USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander planned to enter the transfer portal, he announced he will remain with the Trojans.

“I’m not crystal clear on all of the noise or what any of this portal mess is about,” Alexander posted on social media. “I’m here to finish what I started and that’s chasing a natty here at USC with my teammates.”

Alexander, who transferred to USC from Georgia, finished the 2023 season with 47 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. He started 12 of 13 games and was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention honoree.

As of Tuesday, USC’s coaching staff has been made aware of Alexander’s intent to transfer, sources told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. A day later, that’s no longer the case.