Strength in Unity.
Strength in Unity.
i think that last article has the wrong title?
Strength in Unity.
Captain Canada wrote: ↑21 Feb 2022, 13:58Can't say I'm surprised by the outcomes, but its going to be interesting to see how you choose to impose consequences or reactions to all this
teflon.
Strength in Unity.
Bulls scramble to keep UCF rivalry alive as beginning of schedule strengthens
Adriana Castillo -- usfwire.usatoday.com
USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. has won 250 games at USF, eighteen bowl games, thirteen conference championships and five national championships. The one thing he's never done? Repeated.
USF's journey to do so begins against the lowly ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, the perfect in-conference opponent to acclimate a new coaching staff, a bevvy of new starters and contributors and shake off any post celebration cobwebs.
Ten Best USF Players
1. QB Jeff Jones, Junior
2. TE Chris Wallace, Sophomore
3. LB Chris Williams, Junior
4. DT Ron Cox, Junior
5. HB Bobby Jackson, Sophomore
6. WR Marques Iosefo, Junior
7. DT Dallas Thomas, Junior
8. CB Joe Jackson, Junior
9. CB Jeremy Daniels, Sophomore
10. OL Tony Kelly, Rs Junior
Schedule
Aug. 25 vs. Mississippi State
Sept. 1 at #14 LSU
Sept. 8 vs. Florida (night game)
Sept. 15 at Georgia
Sept. 21 at #19 UCF (night game)
Sept. 29 vs. #16 Alabama
OPEN
Oct. 13 vs. #4 Notre Dame (homecoming)
Oct. 20 at Auburn
OPEN
Nov. 2 at #9 Stanford
Nov. 10 vs. Florida State
Nov. 17 vs. Miami
Nov. 24 at Texas A&M
Preseason All-Americans
QB Jeff Jones, Junior (first team)
HB Bobby Jackson, Sophomore (first team)
WR Marques Iosefo, Junior (first team)
TE Chris Wallace, Sophomore (first team)
DT Ron Cox, Junior (first team)
DT Dallas Thomas, Junior (first team)
LB Chris Williams, Junior (first team)
CB Joe Jackson, Junior (first team)
Preseason All-SEC
QB Jeff Jones, Junior (first team)
HB Bobby Jackson, Sophomore (first team)
WR Marques Iosefo, Junior (first team)
TE Chris Wallace, Sophomore (first team)
DT Ron Cox, Junior (first team)
DT Dallas Thomas, Junior (first team)
LB Chris Williams, Junior (first team)
CB Joe Jackson, Junior (first team)
RT Joe Williams, Rs Senior (second team)
What to watch for on offense: What does Jeff Jones look like in Doug Nussmeier's offense? His prolific numbers from his first two seasons were historic and likely won't be matched in Nussmeier's pro style offense but with the amount of talent on the outside and a revamped offensive line that's still a work in progress, it might still end up being a pass-heavy offense.
What to watch for on defense: USF lost four key members of its secondary in corners Richie Cowan and Kevin Cronin as well as starting safeties Clayton Bradford and Zach Mack. They do return almost all of the front seven however including all-world linebacker Chris Williams.
The team will be far better if... the young players step up. Derek Young, Jason McDowell, Sam Washington and Jarod Green are all true freshman that might be key contributors this season. With all of them being early enrollees and getting some spring football under their belt, they should get a head start and be productive as they're all extremely talented.
The Schedule: Scheduling conflicts put the USF - UCF game into limbo and in order to preserve the yearly tradition, USF agreed to play the Knights on the road in back to back seasons and it's in the early part of the season as opposed to the traditional end of season game.
UCF is one of four ranked opponents USF will face off in the first seven weeks of the season, including #16 Alabama which is looking to bounce back after a disappointing season. The season lightens with a trip to Auburn, Stanford and then home stands against Florida State and Miami before they end the season in College Station. While Stanford and Florida State are ranked, they might be due for a comedown season after outplaying their talent last season.
Best offensive player: Jeff Jones. Does it need to be explained?
Best defensive player: It always feels like Cox is just a snap away from turning a game on its head with his ability to wreck havoc along the offensive line but it's Williams who will have an increased role this season as the team's unquestioned leader at linebacker.
Key players to a successful season: Kelly had a really good season at left guard last year but now he'll be the team's left tackle and protecting college football's premier passer's blindside. They'll need Kelly to be their anchor and be able to handle pass rushers on an island by himself as the rest of the offensive line needs all the help they can get.
Defensively, is Joe Jackson ready to be CB1? He's played the dime and nickel in his first seasons but now instead of being promoted to just CB2, he's skyrocketing to USF's top corner. He has the tools to do so but it's still a big jump, no matter how talented he is.
The season will be a success if...USF is back into the college football playoffs.
Key game: The home stand against Alabama and Notre Dame are probably the two biggest games and the Tide get the nod as its an SEC game.
Game by Game Predictions
Aug. 25 vs. Mississippi State: W 28-17
Sept. 1 at #14 LSU: W 35-31
Sept. 8 vs. Florida: W 55-38
Sept. 15 at Georgia: W 41-20
Sept. 21 at #19 UCF: W 49-24
Sept. 29 vs. #16 Alabama: L 27-17
OPEN
Oct. 13 vs. #4 Notre Dame: W 31-28
Oct. 20 at Auburn: W 45-24
OPEN
Nov. 2 at #9 Stanford: W 48-27
Nov. 10 vs. Florida State: W 31-10
Nov. 17 vs. Miami: W 27-24
Nov. 24 at Texas A&M : W 35-21
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Captain Canada
- Posts: 4735
- Joined: 01 Dec 2018, 00:15
Strength in Unity.
Waiting for the next bombshell to drop.
Strength in Unity.
Got the revenge against Texas very nice. Especially after they beat Tulsa. Was glad to see them in the playoffs though.
Strength in Unity.
Setting the stage for another top ranked USF recruiting class as possible NCAA sanctions loom
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
If the NCAA is consistent -- and that's a big if -- the USF Bulls should know of their sanctions by this time next year the latest. The four letter institute typically hands down punishments eighteen months to two-years after the initial notice of allegations. While scholarship reductions vary based on the situation, punishments have ranged from the loss of five to ten scholarships a year.
USF has signed smaller classes before, sanctions aside, and will likely need to do so again this year in anticipation of a smaller class. They're off to a great start with the recent commitment of local receiver Maurice Bennett during the Green and Gold Bash.
Bennett, the nation's top recruit, is the son of former USF linebacker/defensive end Mark Bennett who played for the Bulls from 2016 until 2020. The legacy recruit chose the Bulls over Florida State and Miami. A six-foot-four receiver with legit sub 4.4 speed, Bennett has drawn comparisons to another former USF receiver in Darius Downs. Downs was a five-star recruit in the 2024 class and was part of a loaded class with fellow five-star receiver Jason Barbour and five-star tight end Ryan Everett.
USF will hope to repeat that loaded class by also landing Jacksonville area five-star receiver D.J. Manning and Tennessee's Brian Harris, who ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the Top247 rankings respectively.
After signing an elite class along the offensive line last cycle, USF has their sights set on a few local targets in Winter Haven's Dane Clay, Orlando's Brandon Jones and two four-star centers in Leroy Richards and Brad Bonner, all in-state prospects.
USF is keying in on four-star defensive end David Richardson who is another legacy recruit and the son of former USF all-time great linebacker Shelton Richardson. They've been patient with their offers on defense with currently only offers to Richardson, Vero Beach linebacker Brett Freeman, Georgia five-star cornerback Tyler Matthews and safeties Adrian Bolden and Brady Johnson out of South Florida
2036 USF Recruiting Class
WR Maurice Bennett [WR #1]: 6'4", 206lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | 4.42 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 270 Squat Max
2036 USF Recruiting Board
WR D.J. Manning [WR #2]: 5'10", 181lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | Florida State, Miami, USF, Alabama, Georgia Tech
WR Brian Harris [WR #3]: 6'1", 180lbs | Columbia, TN | 5-star | USF, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Virginia Tech
CB Tyler Matthews [CB #1]: 5'11", 169lbs | Thomaston, GA | 5-star | Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, Auburn, USF
C Brad Bonner [C #4]: 6'2", 290lbs | Bradenton, FL | 4-star | USF, Army, Michigan State, Stanford, Oregon
C Leroy Richards [C #2]: 6'2", 292lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, USF
DE David Richardson [DE #5]: 6'3", 240lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Miami, Michigan State, LSU
LB Brett Freeman [OLB #12]: 5'11", 207lbs | Vero Beach South, FL | 4-star | USF, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami, Navy
S Brady Johnson [S #9]: 6'5", 208lbs | Boca Grande, FL | 3-star | NC State, Tulsa, Fresno State, Air Force, USF
S Adrian Bolden [S #33]: 6'3", 219lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Miami, USF, Florida State, Georgia Tech, FAU
T Dane Clay [T #22]: 6'3", 321lbs | Winter Haven, FL | 3-star | FAU, USF, Kansas, Middle Tennessee State
G Brandon Jones [G #47]: 6'5", 275lbs | Orlando, FL | 3-star | USF, Penn State, Nebraska, Purdue
FB/TE Antoine Frank [FB #5]: 6'2", 236lbs | Bloomingdale, FL | 3-star | Florida, USF, Clemson, FAU, FIU
FB Obadiah Denman [FB #28]: 6'1", 249lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | FAU, Mississippi State, UL-Monroe, UCF, USF
Strength in Unity.
clean program.
I voted for Ohio State to get in instead but it ended up not being a blowout so shoutout to them. As expected, their coach left but they still have a decent team (84 overall, 86 off, 82 def)
Strength in Unity.
The biggest positional battles playing out in fall camp at USF
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
Development is done in the spring, toughness is built in the summer and in the fall, jobs are won.
The University of South Florida is in its third week of fall camp, with two scrimmages in its back pocket and the intensity expected to ratchet up, here are the positional battles that Bulls fans should be keeping an eye on as the opener is nearing:
Starting X Receiver
Projected Depth Chart
#9 Derek Young, Freshman | 6'0", 217lbs | 82 ovr, 95 spd, 91 acc, 71 cth OR
#83 Sam Washington, Freshman | 6'0", 172lbs | 79 ovr, 93 spd, 92 acc, 77 cth OR
#88 Jarod Green, Freshman | 5'11", 183lbs | 77 ovr, 92 spd, 91 acc, 71 cth
With Marques Iosefo moving to the slot, his more natural position, and Jason McDowell being the ideal candidate to play the Z spot with his length and speed, who will be USF's dynamic X receiver?
The clubhouse leader was Derek Young but his absence in the spring game allowed Sam Washington make a big push after he had initially been playing primarily out of the slot. Green is probably the more developed receiver of the bunch while Washington had the best hands but Young's playmaking abilities are unique when he gets the ball in his hands.
Starting Left Guard
Projected Depth Chart
#60 Josh Hardy, Rs Senior | 6'4", 335lbs | 84 ovr, 85 pbk, 87 rbk, 88 str OR
#73 Martin Cunningham, Rs Senior | 6'1", 310lbs | 78 ovr, 84 pbk, 86 rbk, 82 str OR
#62 Ed McKinney, Freshman | 6'2", 321lbs | 78 ovr, 85 pbk, 78 rbk, 89 str
McKinney really impressed during the spring but asking a true freshman to start in the SEC along the offensive line is a tall task that could hurt his development in the long run. It was Hardy's job to lose and while he hasn't done that, Cunningham and McKinney have done enough in the spring and early parts of fall camp to make it a competitive battle.
Starting Right Guard
Projected Depth Chart
#79 Chris Booker, Freshman | 6'1", 328lbs | 79 ovr, 85 pbk, 80 rbk, 90 str OR
#75 Ryan Terrell, Rs Senior | 6'0", 322lbs | 75 ovr, 84 pbk, 83 rbk, 79 str
If Booker had been an early enrollee, this might not even be a competition as by the second scrimmage, clips surfaced showing Booker running with the first team offensive line over Terrell. The only caveat regarding Booker potentially not starting is if Cunningham or Hardy make the switch to right guard in order to avoid starting potentially two true freshman along the interior if McKinney wins the job at left guard.
Starting Defensive Ends
Projected Depth Chart
#6 Kevin Beck, Rs Sophomore | 6'3", 265lbs | 89 ovr, 75 spd, 73 acc, 83 str, 93 pmv, 94 fmv, 92 bsh OR
#94 Aaron Bean, Senior | 6'5", 262lbs | 85 ovr, 77 spd, 88 acc, 85 str, 85 pmv, 89 fmv, 83 bsh OR
#90 Adam Harvey, Rs Senior | 6'2", 260lbs | 83 ovr, 81 spd, 87 acc, 80 str, 82 pmv, 88 fmv, 83 bsh OR
#57 John Allen, Junior | 6'1", 263lbs | 83 ovr, 73 spd, 80 acc, 86 str, 91 pmv, 82 fmv, 86 bsh OR
#33 Travis Peters, Freshman | 6'2", 228lbs | 81 ovr, 79 spd, 81 acc, 75 str, 84 pmv, 87 fmv, 82 bsh
USF has recruited pretty well along the defensive line and with former Alabama transfer Kevin Beck now eligible, it's a loaded group.
Harvey and Bean have the most experience with each having five career sacks and being part of the rotation at defensive end last year. While Bob Shoop liked to mix it up, it's unclear if new DC John Butler will have a similar rotation at end. If he doesn't, Beck has been the clear cut best defensive end of the group during the spring and four-star incoming true freshman Travis Peters has impressed in fall camp after not being here for the spring.
Starting Nickel
Projected Depth Chart
#22 Kevin Collins, Rs Junior | 6'1", 172lbs | 81 ovr, 90 spd, 87 acc, 93 mcv, 89 zcv, 99 press
#21 Kenny Fowler, Freshman | 6'0", 166lbs | 79 ovr, 95 spd, 93 acc, 85 mcv, 88 zcv, 81 press
Collins has greatly improved since he first arrived at USF but his limitations as an athlete could see true freshman Fowler leap him on the depth chart as Fowler has good coverage skills and is an elite athlete.
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Google[Bot]
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- Joined: 01 Jul 2020, 10:03
Strength in Unity.
Let's see that repeat finally. How many seasons for Francois now?