Reigning national champion Georgia is reportedly set to lose a standout defensive lineman that was expected to step into a pivotal role in the 2023 season.
Bulldogs defensive tackle Bear Alexander, three months removed from his impressive showing in the CFP title game, announced on Saturday he intends to enter the transfer portal, according to Hayes Fawcett of On.3.com. A five-star recruit in the class of 2022, Alexander, who’s entering his sophomore season, will have three years of eligibility remaining, but would have to transfer outside of the SEC in order to avoid sitting a year.
Alexander’s surprising decision to leave Athens changes what was expected to be a prominent season for the six-foot-five, 305-pound tackle coming off a promising freshman season. Playing behind star Jalen Carter, Alexander recorded nine tackles and two sacks in 12 games played; against TCU, Alexander had one sack and two tackles for loss in the Bulldogs’ dominant 65–7 win on Jan 9.
With Carter moving on to the NFL, Alexander was thought to be one of the top replacements for the two-time CFP champion and future first-rounder. However, despite losing a key piece in the rotation, UGA will still have plenty of depth along the D-line with returning players such as Nazir Stackhouse, Tramel Walthour and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
While the reason behind his decision is unclear, Alexander will move on from Georgia after a winding road to the program ahead of the 2022 season. The Terrell, Texas native committed and de-committed to both Texas A&M and Georgia during his recruitment but eventually chose to play for Kirby Smart after finishing his senior season at IMG Academy.
