Strength in Unity.

[Soapy]

You've really done well to build up suspense for a post-National Championship season. Good shit, for sure.

been getting into my soap de la ghetto bag, glad you're enjoying it.

Interested to see the schedule for the upcoming season, freshman QB is going to have a spotlight on him from the jump

For sure. one of the house rules is no scouting of recruits but just looking at his measurables and the letter grades, I thought he had a chance to be special and sure enough. When y'all see his ratings

[Soapy]

One of a kind; USF LB Hughes ready to put 'money in the bank before cashing out'
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

Even before faxing in his National Letter of Intent, USF junior linebacker Travis Hughes has not been bashful about his plans.

"I always saw myself as a three-year guy," says Hughes of his plans to enter the draft after this season, "You never know, obviously, but I'm pretty much doing everything I thought I would do when I got to the college level. Honestly, I feel like I'm draftable right now so this season is all about putting money in the bank before cashing out, you know? Raise my stock, go from a first round pick to potentially be the top pick at inside backer which isn't common."

Hughes' observation is correct as the last linebacker to be the first pick in the NFL Draft was in 1988. His categorization of himself, however, as just an inside linebacker is far from the truth.

As a true freshman, Hughes recorded a FBS leading 38 tackles for loss. Those numbers dwindled in 2024 partly due to injuries down to 18 but even those numbers are greater than Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly, who had 13 tackles for loss in his best season. Hughes also added seven sacks as a freshman and five interceptions. He had two of each last season along with a forced fumble in the national championship game.

"He could play safety for us," USF DC Dave Doeren says of the six-foot-five freak athlete, "I'm not exaggerating, he could. We've lined him up at dime or nickel at times when we want to go with a light box and still have Dallas [Gross] in there. As a coach, you try to think of different situations and scenarios where you might be down a man due to injury, ejections, whatever. One of my answers, no matter the position, is always Travis."

His versatility will likely net him a lost of dollars by this time next year but for now, he'll have to settle for the coveted number one jersey.

At USF's latest spring scrimmage, former Bulls Zac White and Troy Henry made a special appearance, surprising Hughes with the #1 jersey. It's a tradition that White, a former star receiver for the program who led them to their first national championship appearance, started. Upon his exit to the draft, White gifted his former number to quarterback David Johnson with the blessing from head coach Malcolm Francois. Since then, those that have been blessed with the honor get on a conference call with Francois before the spring game to decide whose going to get the number.

"It's about leadership more than anything," says White, "Whose going to be on the guys about showing up prepared to workouts, doing good in school, all of that. Whose a guy that's going out in the community, making an impact and of course, making plays on the field. It's been an offensive lovefest for a while now but when we got together a few days ago, it was really two guys that everyone in the program, around the school was telling us were those guys and it was Dallas and Travis and with the play Trav made in the national championship game, we felt like he earned it."

For Hughes, it's an honor he doesn't take lightly.

"I'm a competitor so whenever something is up for grabs, I want it. This is no different," says Hughes, "But now that I have it, the job is not done. I don't want to be in those meetings in the future and we get on that call or we meet up for lunch and I'm the black sheep that let everyone down. I'm trying to be the best player to ever play here and I feel like [the #1 jersey] is just another motivation for me."

Hughes is ESPN's Todd McShay's 7th ranked draft-eligible prospect.

[Soapy]

South Florida Bulls receiver Malcolm Francois Jr. injures ACL, to have surgery
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

South Florida wide receiver Malcolm Francois Jr. will require surgery on his right knee after suffering an ACL injury, the school announced Wednesday.

Francois Jr., who suffered the injury during a non-contact drill Tuesday, is expected to make a full recovery, the school said.

"The good news is that the MRI showed it to be an isolated injury with no other structures involved," USF coach Malcolm Francois Sr. said in a statement. "[Malcolm] is a hard worker. I know he will bring the same work ethic to rehab that he shows in practice every day."

Francois Jr., a senior, had 45 receptions for 754 yards and led the team with nine touchdowns in his first season at receiver since making the switch from defensive back.

He is the son of Bulls head coach Malcolm Francois and was slated to wear the #88 jersey this season after his father, who wore the same number for the Bulls and in the NFL.

[Soapy]

What we learned as Bulls put a bow on spring practices
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

Even some late afternoon showers -- as is customary in Tampa -- couldn't put a damper on what was a very exciting spring game for USF fans in attendance and watching at home. For the players and the coaching staff that were on the field, it provided a much needed relief from the Florida sun that was beaming on them in the first half and throughout the past few weeks.

"It's been a tough spring," said junior running back David Fuller, "In a good way, though. It's been competitive especially out in that Florida where it doesn't take much for a late hit or extra shove get taken the wrong way but it's helped build us up."

Fuller, who somehow quietly ran for nearly 1,400 yards last season, knows he'll be counted on a lot this season with a new quarterback at the helm. He carried the ball just seven times in the spring game as the Bulls are likely saving his legs for game that count.

While Fuller got a light day, as did some other veterans, there was plenty to learn:

• Expect a heavy rotation on defense
  Under previous defensive coordinators, USF's starting eleven on defense was just that. The team would play eleven to thirteen guys for the majority of the snaps, spelling for rest and strategic matchups but outside of that, the eleven starters were the eleven starters. DC Dave Doeren has been more liberal with his rotations, using different bodies up front to keep the defensive line fresh in this era of college football.
  
  In all of the open practices, scrimmages and in the Spring Game, the Bulls had an active rotation at defensive end -- using as many as five different guys within one series -- and at weak safety/nickel bag. Focusing on defensive end, Dale Bolen and Mark Robinson were the main guys last season with Kelvin Davis and Travis Scott combining for eight sacks as backups. The snap counts have been more even this spring and the trend could continue in fall camp, heading into the spring.
  
  In the secondary, the biggest question entering spring remains. Who is the fifth guy in the secondary? Junior Corey Johnson, whose been a backup at free safety and was a high school cornerback, provides the Bulls with more speed in the secondary. Wilson, a former linebacker, lacks the ideal top end speed but his lateral movement has shown to be more than good enough to cover tight ends and slower receivers while providing extra run support as almost a fourth linebacker. Corners Cody Johnson and Pierre Francois have also gotten involved in the mix, giving the Bulls a more pure nickel look.
  -
• The offensive line has work to do
  USF returns three starters on its offensive line which sounds like good news but when considering two of those players -- both tackles -- allowed 26 sacks between them last season, it's not such good news.
  
  Charles Joseph's first season at left tackle was, simply put, not a good one. He struggled at times in pass protection, which was expected, and wasn't the dominant run blocker that coaches had seen in practice. Joseph beat out redshirt junior Tanner Patton for the job last fall and it appears to be a battle once more with a third member added to the party in Darryl Williams. The redshirt sophomore is probably a year away from being fully ready physically as he's still growing into his six-foot-eight frame but he fared much better in pass protection.
  
  Redshirt senior Clay Smith seems to be running away with the left guard vacancy while true freshman Chris Simpson is turning heads at right guard and might be the favorite to win the job over redshirt sophomore Bobby Davis.
  -
• Jackson falling behind the pack at quarterback
  Head coach Malcolm Francois and offensive coordinator Walt Wells have tried to keep the quarterback battle close to the vest but snap/rep counts don't lie. While all three quarterbacks have turned out favorable performances, redshirt freshman Jay Jackson has been the third quarterback to enter the game in both the last two scrimmages and the spring game.
  
  In the first scrimmage, Jackson split first team snaps with redshirt sophomore Nick Williams, who has started in all of them. Williams has gotten the most reps followed by true freshman Jed White who played more in the final scrimmage than he did in the spring game.

[Captain Canada]

Anotha one! Nice to see you keeping the tradition going.

[Soapy]

Arnold, Lindsey commit to Bulls as 2026 class gets momentum boost
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

By their own standards, USF's 2025 recruiting class might have felt short as the Bulls were ranked 21st in the 247 Team Composite Rankings. With no commitments as summer was nearing it's end, the 2026 class wasn't off to a great start either. Until four-star WR Bobby Arnold decided to change.

Arnold along with three-star Tampa linebacker Jason Lindsey became the Bulls first commitments of the class and will hopefully get the ball rolling in the right direction as senior seasons are about to be underway.

A top 125 recruit, Arnold has the combination of size and speed that the Bulls have coveted at the position. He's got a verified 40-time of 4.36 which puts him amongst the fastest kids in the nation and his tapes shows good after the catch ability. He still has ways to go as a complete receiver and does sometimes struggles to get separation at the top of his routes.

Lindsey fits the mold of a Sam linebacker in the Bulls defense and while he could afford to add a few more pounds in order to be able to set the edge, he's not afraid of playing near the line of scrimmage and taking on blocks. He's not a bad athlete and the team could try him at Mike linebacker but he hasn't shown the ability to play in space and has been a liability in coverage at times.

2026 USF Recruiting Class
WR Bobby Arnold [WR #22]: 6'2", 180lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.36 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press, 305 Squat | USF, Florida, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia
OLB Jason Lindsey [OLB #75]: 6'1", 227lbs | 6'1", 227lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 400 Bench Press, 610 Squat | USF, Florida State, Miami, UCF, South Carolina

2026 USF Recruiting Board
ILB Marcus Rhoden [ILB #2]: 5'11", 234lbs | Berea, SC | 5-star | Clemson, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Georgia, USF
ATH Andrew Rivas [ATH #8]: 6'6", 218lbs | Hurst, TX | 5-star | USF, Minnesota, Wake Forest, NC State, Virginia Tech
DE Greg White [DE #3]: 6'5", 247lbs | Pecos, TX | 4-star | USF, UCLA, Syracuse
T Tyler Moore [T #3]: 6'5", 310lbs | Belle Glade, FL | 4-star | Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Miami, USF
S Paul Williams [S #3]: 5'11", 205lbs | Bradenton, FL | 4-star | Nebraska, Michigan, Florida State, Alabama, USF
DT Rodney Williams [DT #13]: 6'1", 261lbs | Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | FSU, Miami, Florida, Clemson, USF
OLB Ben Keller [OLB #8]: 6'1", 223lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Iowa, Minnesota, UCLA, Wisconsin, USF
CB Casey Coe [CB #12]: 6'2", 171lbs | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 4-star | Florida, Miami, Florida State, Georgia, USF
CB Marcus Hodge [CB #14]: 5'11", 182lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Miami, USF, Florida, UCF, FAU
ATH Lamar Mitchell [ATH #19]: 6'0", 196lbs | Elmont, NY | 4-star | USF, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Michigan
WR Jimmy Ingram [WR #12]: 5'10" 187lbs | Jacksonville, AR | 4-star | USF, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Missouri, Texas
TE Jean-Jacques Dominique Francois [TE #23]: 6'3", 235lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | USF, Arkansas, USC
G Stephen Brown [G #40]: 6'4", 321lbs | 6'4", 321lbs | Sweetwater, FL | 3-star | USF, Florida State, Miami
ILB Reggie Harper [ILB #27]: 5'11", 244lbs | Cocoa, FL | 3-star | USF, Florida, North Carolina, Florida State, NC State
OLB Brent Anderson [OLB #44]: 6'2", 234lbs | Panama City, FL | 3-star | FAU, South Carolina, USF, SMU, UTEP
CB Sam Harris [CB #85]: 5'11", 197lbs | Bradenton, FL | UCF, USF, FAU, Louisville
HB Dion Rogers [HB #65]: 5'11", 211lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Florida State, UCF, Miami, Florida, USF

[Soapy]

USF releases 2025 schedule as school, Big 12 reaches agreement
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

The Big 12 and the University of South Florida have reached an agreement which will allow the school's football team to compete in 2025 as an Independent while other sports will play out the 2025-26 school calendar in the Big 12.

The school was part of a multi-team conference realignment which saw USF depart the Big 12 to the SEC following months of turmoil which was ignited by a press conference where football coach Malcolm Francois Sr. criticized the conference. The realignment was set to take place in the 2026-27 academic calendar but the USF football team announced in March that it would be competing as an Independent.

The agreement allowed the Bulls to finalize and release the much rumored about 2025 schedule which included seven preseason top 25 opponents.

2025 USF Schedule
Sep. 6 vs. NC State
Sep. 13 vs. #19 Oregon
Sep. 20 at #20 Miami
Sep. 27 vs. San Diego State
Oct. 4 at #12 Alabama
Oct. 11 vs. #4 Virginia Tech
OPEN
Oct. 25 at Florida
Nov. 1 vs. Navy
Nov. 8 vs. #8 North Carolina
Nov. 15 at #10 Notre Dame
Nov. 22 at #11 Michigan
Nov. 28 vs. UCF

[Soapy]

Modern day 'Bermuda Triangle' among Bulls to earn preseason honors
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

The University of South Florida made history last season when in back-to-back seasons, all three of their starting linebackers were named first-team All-Americans, Montrell Jennings in 2023 and John Reed in 2024 along with Dallas Gross and Travis Hughes earning those honors both years.

Gross, Hughes and Reed were all named AP Preseason first-team All-Americans along with junior cornerback Sid Robinson, senior cornerback Ray Hill and junior safety Jake Lott.

Opponents on the All-American team that Bulls will face this season include Oregon running Jamar Richard (first team), Alabama center Franklin Davis (first team), Florida offensive guard Jason Sanders (first team), Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Alford (first team), Alabama defensive tackle Jermaine Crooks (first team), Virginia Tech running back James Gray (second team), Notre Dame wide receivers Mark Smith and Andy Henley (second team), Virginia Tech offensive guard Brian Brown (second team), Notre Dame offensive tackle Sam Sanders (second team) and Oregon cornerback Willie Fritz (second team).

While Big XII Preseason honors are out of the question for this season, the Bulls were mentioned in Phil Steele's Preseason All-Independent list with junior running back David Fuller, senior center Joel Dixon and senior defensive end Dale Bolen joining Gross, Hughes, Hill, Lott, Reed and Robinson on the first team. The second team had sophomore receiver Darius Downs, senior receiver Malcolm Francois Jr., sophomore tight end Vincent Everett, senior right tackle Jimmie Hurd and sophomore defensive tackle Will Levine.

USF will take on 5 quarterbacks that received preseason all-conference honors in Miami's Derek Garrison, North Carolina's Dave Thompson, Navy's Colton Rivero, Notre Dame's John Daniels and Alabama's Riley Hall.

The Bulls kick off their season on September 6th against N.C. State, where they will put their 35 game home winning streak on the line.

[djp73]

35 games. my word.

[Captain Canada]

Seems like a fairly tough schedule, but I like your repeat chances. Linebacking core always solid.