USC's Bear Alexander, unhappy with playing time, to redshirt

USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander, who had expressed displeasure with his playing time, is taking a redshirt season in 2024.

Tony Jones, whom Alexander calls his father, told ESPN that Alexander doesn't plan to play for the rest of the season to preserve a year of eligibility.

Alexander plans to stay with the USC team and practice, Jones said.

"We made clear what our goals are," Jones said. "That goal is to be a full-time starter and leader on the defense like we came there to be."

USC coach Lincoln Riley on Thursday declined to answer questions about Alexander's decision but called it "surprising news." Riley added that hisconfidence in the defensive line hasn't changed.

"A lot of people want to play for this defensive line right now," Riley said.

Alexander, a third-year player who spent his freshman season at Georgia, played 21 snaps in a 27-24 loss to Michigan on Saturday. The former ESPN top-60 recruit has 10 career tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 28 games spanning the two schools.

Prior to the redshirt news, Riley had intimated that some of the limited snaps came from increased competition at that position group.

USC has played three games, which is below the four-game threshold to preserve the season for Alexander's eligibility. By redshirting, he'll have two seasons remaining.

"If Bear not being a starter and playing 35 or 40 snaps a game isn't in the best interest of the team," Jones said, "we need to do something different."

It's a decision that's become increasingly common in the NCAA transfer portal era, where players don't have to sit out seasons to move schools. Alexander is a 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle whose size, collegiate experience and talent will assure a strong market in the portal.

His decision went public on the same day that UNLVquarterback Matthew Sluka rocked the college landscape with his decision to leave the school and take a redshirt season after leading the team to a 3-0 start.

Alexander plans to push through the season and chart his course from there.

"This was a family decision," Jones said. "It came down to Bear and what he wants to do and the goals he set for himself. We sat down as a family and carved out a plan to get there."

ESPN's Paolo Uggetti contributed to this report.