The transfer portal re-opened on Saturday and Georgia has already seen one player enter the portal, as talented defensive tackle Bear Alexander put his name into the portal.
DawgNation has learned that Alexander grew uncomfortable with his playing time on the defensive line and the rotation being employed.
USC is expected to be a contender for Alexander going forward.
He is expected to transfer from Georgia, unlike the Amarius Mims situation, where Mims entered the portal last April, only to see him return to Georgia.
As a freshman, Alexander had 9 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Alexander was expected to play a bigger role on the Georgia defense in 2023, as he was thought to be one of the viable replacements for Jalen Carter.
“Bear is playing better,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Alexander and the defensive line last week. “Naz and Zion have to be careful not to be punching the clock, so we challenge them each day. Warren Brinson has done a good job and then the young freshmen are going to be good players, (but) they’re not where they need to be right now.
“Jonathan Jefferson is a kid that given us depth and is playing well inside. I feel good about the depth. Do we have Havoc Makers and Train Wreckers? I don’t know that we’ve got that. We have to try to manufacture that.”
Related: Bear Alexander looks forward to the challenge of replacing Jalen Carter for Georgia football
Alexander signed with Georgia as a member of the 2022 signing class out of Terrell, Texas. He spent his final season of high school at IMG Academy. Alexander did de-commit from Georgia during his recruiting process, only to ultimately end up re-committing and signing with Georgia.
Given there aren’t many defensive tackles like Alexander in college football. Due to SEC transfer rules, Alexander would need a waiver from the league to transfer within the conference. During his recruiting process , Alexander took official visits to Miami and Alabama as well.
The Bulldogs signed only two defensive linemen in the 2023 signing class, with Jamaal Jarrett and Jordan Hall both enrolling early. They are already on campus and have completed spring practice.
Georgia will hold its spring game on Saturday, starting at 4 p.m. ET. Head coach Kirby Smart will speak to reporters afterward.
Reacting to Bear Alexander transfer news
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