Bear Alexander dismisses transfer portal buzz, says he's staying at USC

Only Bear Alexander, USC coach Lincoln Riley and perhaps a few others know what transpired over the last day, but a day after a wave of reports had Alexander heading to the transfer portal the Trojans' big defensive tackle tweeted Wednesday that he is not going anywhere.

Alexander did not acknowledge that he was ever planning to leave, though independent reports from On3.com, ESPN and the Los Angeles Times didn't come from nowhere on Tuesday.

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

Alexander was at practice Tuesday morning but not wearing pads and the reports of his expected departure bubbled up later in the day.

Whether it was further talks with the coaching staff, NIL matters or much ado about nothing, Alexander has announced his intentions, and it's a big relief for a USC defensive line that couldn't afford to lose him.

Alexander, the former five-star prospect who transferred in a year ago from Georgia, tallied 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and was second on the team with 32 pressures, which per PFF was tied for 13th nationally among interior defensive linemen.