Strength in Unity.

[Soapy]

2018 USF Bulls football preview: A full-blown race for the record books is happening at receiver
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF's school records at receiver are littered with the names Zac White and Franklin Sapp with the two juniors owning all the single-season records. The career records, however, belong to D'Vario Montgomery with 162 receptions for 2246 yards with White already owning the record for most career touchdowns with 20.

Sapp needs just 11 yards to break the record while White needs sixteen catches for break the reception record. Don't count White out on the yardage record either as he might be behind Sapp by 253 yards, he's shown in the final games of the season that he's not just a possession receiver and capable of big games of his own.

Outside of Sapp and White, Sharp has started to show promises while true freshman Trey Davis is also expected to be in the mix at receiver.

A look at USF’s receiver situation:

Projected depth chart
#1 Zac White, Jr. | 5'10", 220lbs | 92 ovr, 89 spd, 87 acc, 99 cth
#4 Franklin Sapp, Jr. | 6'3", 187lbs | 88 ovr, 97 spd, 98 acc, 88 cth
#6 Corey Sharp, Jr. | 6'1", 195lbs | 85 ovr, 88 spd, 92 acc, 92 cth
#85 Mike Holmes, Fr. | 6'0", 183lbs | 77 ovr, 93 spd, 91 acc, 71 cth
#3 Trey Davis, Fr. | 6'1", 186lbs | 79 ovr, 89 spd, 89 acc, 52 cth
#89 Matt Hill, Rs So. | 6'1", 198lbs | 75 ovr, 88 spd, 82 acc, 79 cth
#87 Jay Stevens, Jr. | 6'0", 193lbs | 80 ovr, 85 spd, 84 acc, 83 cth

Expected starter: White and Sapp on the outside with Sharp and Holmes rotating at slot. Holmes really came on during spring practices and his speed might be able to get him onto the field early as a freshman.

Major storyline: Once again, it's Trey Davis. He's not a natural receiver but his physical tools allow him to be able to make plays at the position and according to reports, part of the reason why USF was able to get him was they promised him some playing time on offense. Will he be a contributor or just a gimmick to be thrown out there once in a while?

[Soapy]

2018 USF Bulls football preview: Will Burns finally be able to put together the productive season many expected?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Before the magical class that came the year after, tight end Buck Burns was one of Malcolm Francois' biggest recruiting wins. Since then, Burns has been a productive main-stay of the offense with at least thirty catches in each of the last two seasons.

Towards the end of last season, Burns found his groove and finished the year with a career high 343 yards. With Chris Golden gone, Burns is expected to be the top tight end this season and get most of the snaps. Will he take full advantage of it?

A look at USF’s tight end situation:

Projected depth chart
#81 Buck Burns, Sr. | 6'1", 241lbs | 84 ovr, 81 spd, 81 acc, 75 cth, 81 rbk
#88 Mike Henry, Rs Sr. | 6'2", 240lbs | 84 ovr, 81 spd, 80 acc, 84 cth, 79 rbk
#83 Joe Wayne, Fr. | 6'4", 252lbs | 66 ovr, 74 spd, 85 acc, 61 cth, 64 rbk

Expected starter: Burns' experience gets him the slight edge.

Major storyline: Henry's ability as a natural pass catcher has always made him a wild card and with his run blocking catching up to his receiving, could he steal some snaps from Burns?

[Soapy]

2018 USF Bulls football preview: Can the right side of the offensive line hold up?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

It doesn't seem that long ago that USF head coach Malcolm Francois made a last ditch effort to sign Darren Charles and keep the talented prospect a part of the USF class. Charles is now a senior and returning for his fourth year as a starter next to Derrick Drew, a three-year starter, and Maurice Bell, a four-year starter.

The right side is a different story with true freshman Victor Tucker, who weighed 261 pounds and was playing defensive end eight months, starting at right guard and a first-year starter in junior Isaac Gutierrez.

A look at USF’s offensive line situation:

Projected depth chart
LT - #77 Daren Charles, Sr. :: #72 Nic Haynes, RS Fr.
LG - #68 Derrick Drew, Rs Jr. :: #63 Zac Thomas, Rs Sr.
C - #53 Maurice Bell, Sr. :: #74 Kenny Brantley, Rs Jr.
RG - #69 Victor Tucker, Fr. :: #79 Brian Brown, Rs So.
RT - #73 Isaac Gutierrez, RS Jr. :: #76 Quinton Payne, RS So.

Expected starters:
#77 Daren Charles, Sr. | 6'8", 311lbs | 87 ovr, 87 str, 90 pbk, 89 rbk
#68 Derrick Drew, Rs Jr. | 6'2", 307lbs | 88 ovr, 87 str, 90 pbk, 88 rbk
#53 Maurice Bell, Sr. | 6'4", 271lbs | 95 ovr, 89 str, 91 pbk, 95 rbk
#69 Victor Tucker, Fr. | 6'4", 311lbs | 72 ovr, 79 str, 81 pbk, 81 rbk
#73 Isaac Gutierrez, RS Jr. | 6'3", 331lbs | 79 ovr, 80 str, 84 pbk, 86 rbk

Major storyline: USF is playing the long game with Tucker, similar to what they did with Bell who started as a true freshman as did Charles. Can they survive a season with a true freshman starting at right guard and a first-year starter as right tackle or do they swing Drew to the right side to balance things out?

[Soapy]

2018 USF Bulls football preview: Prince looking to make impact following position switch
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Gary Prince could never make the two-deep at outside linebacker so the team moved him to inside linebacker and after a brief stint there, new defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis is moving Prince once again.

Prince heads to defensive end while defensive end Fred Hooper -- who never fit the position -- is moving to linebacker. Prince's frame fits nicely as a 4-3 defensive end and gives the Bulls plenty of athleticism on the edge.

A look at USF’s defensive line situation:

Projected depth chart
DE - #91 Lance Carroll, Rs Sr. :: #95 Bryan Walker, Rs Jr. :: #41 Chris Allen, So.
DT - #99 Ross Barron, Rs Sr. :: #93 Jamey Little, Jr. :: #98 Anton Tate, Rs Sr.
DT - #14 E.J. Newsome, Fr. :: #96 Ben Woodard, Rs Fr. :: #90 Ben Jennings, Rs Fr.
DE - #22 Gary Prince, Rs Sr. :: #97 Mark Hawkins, Fr.

Expected starters:
#91 Lance Carroll, Rs Sr. | 6'4", 259lbs | 82 ovr, 75 spd, 90 acc, 79 str, 82 bsh
#99 Ross Barron, Rs Sr. | 6'2", 313lbs | 84 ovr, 56 spd, 73 acc, 86 str, 86 bsh
#14 E.J. Newsome, Fr. | 6'3", 265lbs | 71 ovr, 67 spd, 78 acc, 79 str, 70 bsh
#22 Garry Prince, Rs Sr. | 6'3", 247lbs | 79 ovr, 81 spd, 99 acc, 74 str, 89 bsh

Major storyline: In the team's new 4-3 scheme, they are going back to two interior defensive linemen, a look we haven't seen from the Bulls in quite some time. Barron is a traditional nose but Newsome fits that 4-3 defensive tackle position perfectly with his blend of speed and strength. There will be a learning curve but he's perfect for the position.

[Soapy]

2018 USF Bulls football preview: Can Hooper and Bennett get up to speed to maintain productivity level at linebacker?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF lost a ton of talent at linebacker with the loss of Jeffrey Reese, Mitchell Wright and Nigel Harris who started the last two seasons and three seasons for Reese. In the 4-3 scheme, returning starter Shelton Richardson will have to learn a "new" position as a traditional Will linebacker but it's not too far fetched from what he's been doing.

Mark Bennett, with two career tackles, gets the nod at Sam linebacker while Fred Hooper, who was a defensive end his first two seasons at USF, will try his hand at inside linebacker.

Hooper was a high school linebacker and running back but appeared to have outgrown the position once he tipped over the 260 pound range. Hooper, now 271 pounds, is making the switch back to his more natural position after struggling the last two seasons.

A look at USF’s linebacker situation:

Projected depth chart
WILL - #7 Shelton Richardson, Jr. :: #52 Matt Thompson, Rs Jr. :: #44 James Tucker, Rs So.
MIKE - #12 Fred Hooper, Jr :: #50 Derek O'Neill, RS So :: #56 John Jacobs, Fr.
SAM - #58 Mark Bennett, Rs So. :: #55 Rob Matthews, Rs So.

Expected starters:
#7 Shelton Richardson, Jr. | 6'1", 220lbs | 85 ovr, 86 spd, 96 acc, 82 tkl, 85 bsh, 79 zcv
#12 Fred Hooper, Jr. | 6'1", 274lbs | 74 ovr, 85 spd, 93 acc, 76 tkl, 65 bsh, 93 pur
#58 Mark Bennett, Rs So. | 6'1", 240lbs | 76 ovr, 82 spd, 97 acc, 74 tkl, 83 bsh, 71 zcv

Major storyline: Not a lot of experience at the position outside of Richardson and the ultimate wildcard here is safety Dan Johnson. Johnson played in the box a lot last season so if push comes to shove, don't be surprised if Johnson plays more of a linebacker role this year and maybe even moves into the position full time by year end.

[Soapy]

2018 USF Bulls football preview: Are Simmons and Johnson ready to become top corners after excelling last season?
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

The biggest question mark heading into last season was the corners, especially Brandon Simmons and Brett Johnson. At the time, they were unproven juniors being thrust into starting positions. Now, they're returning seniors with six interceptions between them.

The defensive backfield does lose seniors Antwan Shaw and Tavarious Bailey but add very interesting pieces in Trey Davis, a great athlete, and Chip Bryant, a sure tackler.

A look at USF’s defensive back situation:

Projected depth chart
CB - #17 Brett Johnson, Sr. :: #20 Bradley Bentley, Fr.
CB - #27 Brandon Simmons, Sr. :: #21 Michael Bush, Fr.
NICKEL - #3 Trey Davis, Fr. :: #26 Leonard Lilly, Rs Sr.
S - #2 Dan Johnson, Jr. :: #5 Chip Bryant, Fr. :: #23 Carl Rodriguez, So.
S - #26 Leonard Lilly, Rs Sr. :: #3 Trey Davis, Fr. :: #37 Mike Clark, Jr.

Expected starters:
CB #27 Brandon Simmons, Sr. | 5'10", 178lbs | 83 ovr, 92 spd, 91 acc, 87 mcv, 86 zcv
CB #17 Brett Johnson, Sr. | 6'0", 186lbs | 83 ovr, 90 spd, 88 acc, 90 mcv, 89 zcv
NICKEL #3 Trey Davis, Fr. | 6'1", 186lbs | 79 ovr, 89 spd, 89 acc, 87 mcv, 86 zcv
S #26 Leonard Lilly, Rs Sr. | 6'1", 192lbs | 87 ovr, 92 spd, 94 acc, 88 mcv, 92 zcv, 57 tkl
S #5 Chip Bryant, Fr. | 5'11", 180lbs | 77 ovr, 89 spd, 87 acc, 70 mcv, 75 zcv, 80 tkl
S #2 Dan Johnson, Jr. | 6'0", 206lbs | 85 ovr, 95 spd, 94 acc, 73 mcv, 74 zcv, 88 tkl

Major storyline: Expect a lot of playing time for Bryant due to his ability to tackle and Lilly's inability to do so effectively. Another thing to not rule out is Lilly moving into that nickel role and perhaps moving Davis to safety where he will rotate with Bryant next to Johnson. Either way, expect a lot of flexibility and rotations at safety.

[Soapy]

2018 USF Football Preview
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Ten Best USF Players
1. C Maurice Bell, Sr.
2. WR Zac White, Jr.
3. WR Franklin Sapp, Jr.
4. S Dan Johnson, Jr.
5. G Derrick Crew, Rs Jr.
6. T Darren Charles, Sr.
7. S Leonard Lilly, Rs Sr.
8. LB Shelton Richardson, Jr.
9. TE Buck Burns, Sr.
10. CB Brett Johnson, Sr.

Specialists
K Matt Perkins, Senior :: 95 overall, 93 kick power, 99 kick accuracy
P Brian Bradshaw, Senior :: 92 overall, 99 kick power, 86 kick accuracy

Schedule
at Florida :: A- Overall, A+ Offense, B Defense
at Illinois :: B Overall, B Offense, B- Defense
vs. #12 Georgia Tech :: B+ Overall, A- Offense, B Defense
OPEN
vs. Oklahoma :: B+ Overall, A- Offense, B+ Defense
at #22 Texas A&M :: B+ Overall, A- Offense, B+ Defense
at Oklahoma State :: B Overall, B+ Offense, B- Defense
OPEN
vs. #21 Texas Tech :: B+ Overall, B+ Offense, B Defense
at Baylor :: B Overall, B+ Offense, B- Defense
at TCU :: B+ Overall, A- Offense, B+ Defense
vs. West Virginia :: B- Overall, B- Offense, B- Defense
at Texas :: A- Overall, A- Offense, A- Defense
vs. UCF :: B Overall, B+ Offense, B- Defense

Preseason All-American
S Dan Johnson, Junior (first team)
WR Zac White, Junior (second team)
K Matt Perkins, Senior (second team)

Preseason All-Big 12
WR Zac White, Junior (first team)
WR Franklin Sapp, Junior (first team)
G Derrick Drew, Rs Junior (first team)
C Maurice Bell, Senior (first team)
LB Shelton Richardson, Junior (first team)
CB Brandon Simmons, Senior (first team)
S Leonard Lilly, Rs Senior (first team)
S Dan Johnson, Junior (first team)
K Matt Perkins, Senior (first team)
DT Ross Barron, Rs Senior (second team)

[Soapy]

Francois won't name starter heading into opener as Bulls schedule home-and-home with Rutgers
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Don't expect the biggest question of the South Florida Bulls offseason to be answered any time soon. In a media availability, Bulls head coach Malcolm Francois told reporters that he will not name a starter before the team's season opener against Florida.

According to reports, redshirt freshman David Johnson and redshirt junior Steven McKenzie have been splitting first team reps throughout fall camp. McKenzie played last season when quarterback Grant Oliver went down with an injury and was mildly effective.

"I don't plan on naming a starter," said Francois, "I don't see what goes that does us, it's a close competition between all three guys."

The third man is redshirt junior Mario Greer who split first team reps with McKenzie in the spring but has since mainly ran with the second team offense. McKenzie came into camp as the favorite to win the job due to seniority but Johnson's meteoric rise since he arrived as a true freshman has swayed public opinion in the favor of the Georgia product.

The team also announced via their social media that the team's scheduled non-conference match-up with Texas in 2020 -- now a conference opponent -- has been replaced with a home-and-home series with Rutgers.

The Bulls will play at Rutgers in 2020 and host the Rutgers in 2022. The Bulls also finished up their 2020 non-conference schedule with home match-ups against Western Michigan and Ball State in addition to the scheduled road game against Florida State.

[mvp]

Idk man Johnson’s arm looks like the best of the bunch. Plus he’s got the size. I’d personally run with him over McKenzie I think. Never realized the wheels on Sapp before.. gonna be a nice situation for either of those freshmen to step into.

[Soapy]

Idk man Johnson’s arm looks like the best of the bunch. Plus he’s got the size. I’d personally run with him over McKenzie I think. Never realized the wheels on Sapp before.. gonna be a nice situation for either of those freshmen to step into.

We shall see

Sapp came in with 93 speed I believe so he's always been a favorite of mine. A little bit of inside baseball: I'm using the Tulane playbook due to having their OC as my OC and it sucks, just a generic ass playbook with slants, sticks, a few PA plays and 4 verts for days. Sapp is the reason why the offense has been successful without a mobile QB because on 3rd and 11, verts are the only thing the playbook has.