Strength in Unity.

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Jul 2023, 07:52

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Jul 2023, 09:00

Assessing the personal changes at each defensive group year over year for USF football
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

With National Signing Day in the rearview mirror, USF already has the bulk of next year's roster on campus with the majority of the recruiting class enrolling early and the Bulls not expecting to take any transfers this season.

With spring football now just a week away, it's as good of a time as any to get an inside look at how USF's roster is shaping up to be.

Defensive End
Returning: Marcellus Smith (Jr), Kareem Cunningham (Sr), Kyle Wood (So), James Foster (Rs-Fr), Chris Scott (Rs-Fr)
Additions: 5-star John Potts (early enrollee)
Losses: Ramon Hall (draft)

Last season, it was a rotation of Marcellus Smith and Kyle Wood on passing downs out of the team's sub packages that featured an even front and in the base package with an odd front, it was Kareem Cunningham and Ramon Hall. With Hall headed to the draft, the big question is can the 'lighter' guys in Smith and Wood -- both in the 240 pound range -- play five techniques in USF's base defense to replace Hall or will that fall upon five-star defensive end John Potts, the 257-pound freshman?

There's also James Foster and Chris Scott, two bigger guys that redshirted last year as freshmen. They'll likely compete for that five technique role with Potts but don't rule out Smith, who might be the best overall athlete on defense, eventually becoming an every down player for the Bulls. Both of his brothers -- USF nose tackle Brandon Smith and Southern Miss left tackle Brian Smith Jr. -- are well in the 300-pound range so the idea of him adding some more size to his frame isn't out of the question.

While Hall was a good player, the leap that the Bulls expect from Smith and Wood should cover his loss as well as the addition of Potts, a higher rated prospect than Hall coming out of high school.

Defensive Tackle
Returning: NT Brandon Smith (Jr), DT Brent Lawrence (Sr), DT Derek Simpson (Sr), DT Shawn Thomas (So)
Additions: 4-star DT Brent Craft (summer arrival)
Losses: DT Rahmod Carter (transfer), DT Matt Langford (graduation), DT Will Webb (graduation)

USF losses a few depth pieces in Rahmod Carter, Matt Langford and Will Webb with Langford being the most productive one with 5 career sacks but overall, USF brings the same unit back from last season and a four-star in Brent Craft who will probably redshirt.

The only concern is the lack of depth at nose tackle as Brandon Smith is the only true nose tackle on the roster. Brent Lawrence at 312 pounds can probably get it done and Shawn Thomas has the frame to eventually be the team's nose tackle for the future. This should be a very good unit once more, led by Smith who might get some draft consideration if he continues to improve as a pass rusher as he recorded four sacks last season along with six tackles for loss.

Linebacker
Returning: OLB James Scott (Jr), OLB Cory Manson (So), OLB Erik Wheeler (Jr), OLB Joel Espinosa (Jr), OLB Richard Smith (So), OLB Joey Franklin (So), ILB Damon Hill (So), ILB Ryan Robinson (So), ILB Garin Hart (Rs-Fr)
Additions:
Losses: ILB Kyle Locher (graduation), ILB Noah Wester (graduation), OLB E.J. Young (draft), ILB Jackson Gold Jr. (transfer)

The average Bulls fan probably won't recognize any of the returning names and you can't blame them as the most productive has been Joel Espinosa, who has bounced around at different positions before being a co-starter at SAM linebacker last season, sharing the role with Marcellus Smith. If Smith is a dedicated defensive end this year, Espinosa figures to be the starter there and at Jack, replacing E.J. Young was always going to be a tough task and Bulls fans should tamper their expectations and expect a lot of growing pains this year. It'll be a three man battle between James Scott, Cory Manson and Erik Wheeler, all special teams guys at this point in their career who honestly don't have much intriguing traits.

This is before addressing the elephant that's no longer in the room and that's Kyle Locher, college football's best linebacker. Not only does USF need to replace him at WILL, they also need to replace Noah Wester at MIKE. While the talent and experience drop off is a concern there, USF at least know who the guys there are going to be in Damon Hill and Ryan Robinson. The coaching staff is extremely high on both of them with both playing as freshmen, recording twelve and eleven tackles respectively. Hill also had 4 tackles for loss and two sacks while Robinson had a tackle for loss.

A thing to watch during the spring is how much Marcellus Smith is involved with the outside linebackers as that's the position he's primarily played so far at USF when the team is in their base package and it's what he exclusively played as a true freshman two seasons ago. With the loss of talent does he return there or become fully committed to defensive end?

Cornerback
Returning: Travis Jones (Jr), Akeem Smith (Jr), Charlie Robinson (Jr), Ernest Jones (So), Ronald Berry (Rs-Fr), Jake Johnson (Jr)
Additions: 4-star Lamar McNair (EE), 4-star Thomas Felder (EE)
Losses: None

It's an embarrassment of riches for USF at corner as they return all of their corners from last season's top ranked defense and add-on two more players in Lamar McNair and Thomas Felder that could probably start at most colleges as true freshmen.

We know who the top three are going to be in Travis Jones, Akeem Smith and Charlie Robinson with Smith as the team's top nickel guy. All three are likely headed to the NFL next spring so the question this spring is who are the next three up? It'll be a fierce competition between Ernest Jones, Ronald Berry and the two true freshmen this spring as they battle to be the next guy up.

Safety
Returning: Julian Harrell (So), Clarence Sullivan (So), Anthony Gunn (Jr)
Additions: 4-star Mike Mason (EE), 3-star Gordon Henley (walk on - summer), 3-star Joshua Jones (walk on - summer)
Losses: Fred Rankin (graduation), Joel McDonald (graduation)

Fred Rankin and Joel McDonald were both co-starters along with true freshmen Julian Harrell and Clarence Sullivan last season. Harrell and Sullivan likely elevate to full time starters unless junior Anthony Gunn has something to say about it. Gunn, entering his fourth season as a redshirt junior, has just been a depth piece and special teams guy for the Bulls but has some talent. A former corner, he's probably the better cover guy of the three so we could see him being used when the Bulls decide to deploy a single high safety look.

The only addition in the spring, Mike Mason is an interesting one as he's limited in coverage, even more so than Harrell or Sullivan, but possesses impressive physical attributes that should get him on the field. The only question is in what capacity.

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Jul 2023, 12:53

USF defensive coordinator Trai Martinez tampers rumors of position switch for Freshman All-American Julian Harrell
Sean Caesar -- BullsNation.com Football Reporter

Second-year safety Julian Harrell was a Freshman All-American last season so naturally, fans the media noticed that Harrell had been working out with the linebackers in the portion of the first few spring practices that were open to the media. In social media clips that the team has shared, Harrell was also spotted lining up next to inside linebacker Damon Hill, the team's presumed starting MIKE linebacker.

USF defensive coordinator and linebacker's coach Trai Martinez, however, isn't ready to call it a position switch just yet.

"We're tinkering with stuff right now," Martinez says, adding that multiple players have worked out at different position groups that they'll likely never play in a competitive game, "You don't want the time you have to play a guy at a position in October or November because of injuries or whatever is the first time he's ever played that. It's March, that's when you try things, see how guys react, see how other guys play off of them."

With Hill likely penciled in at MIKE linebacker, Harrell is an intriguing name to add to the bucket as a potential starter at WILL linebacker to replace Kyle Locher, another former safety. Locher's backup last season was Ryan Robinson, a former high school running back whose athletic traits stood out last season in the spring and fall camp. Robinson saw some playing time last season, recording eleven tackles and a tackle for loss.

Given Locher's success, it makes sense to keep throwing athletic bodies at the position and see if they can figure it out.

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Jul 2023, 14:22

USF football spring game recap as Bulls soar out of spring into offseason
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

USF's spring game is often a sobering reality for Bulls fans as they get to see that the work in progress is indeed a work in progress. This year's spring game, however, probably left USF fans and the media thinking that a three-peat is not only possible but probably likely.

The talent was evident and on display on Saturday night as Team Rocky narrowly beat Team Bulls 38-35 thanks to a last second field goal by Chris Sanders. Both teams were elevated by their quarterback play with Mark Cunningham taking the majority of the snaps for Team Rocky and Rashad Woodard getting the start for Team Bulls.

Cunningham showcased his NFL caliber accuracy, completing 16 of 18 passes for 211 yard with a TD, leading the team on three consecutive scoring drives to open the game. His two incompletions were both drops by freshman tight end Joe Wilson who had a rough day. Cunningham's chemistry with Scott Price is undeniable as the second year receiver led all receivers with four catches for 91 yards in the first half.

Price didn't play in the second half, neither did a lot of the returning starters from last season such as Cunningham, running back Jacob Wheeler, nose tackle Brandon Smith, and cornerbacks Akeem Smith, Travis Jones and Charlie Robinson.

USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. said that managing his 'workhorses' was a big focus of the spring.

"They played something like sixteen, seventeen games last year so we're only a couple of months removed from that. You're amped up to get going again in the spring but you have to be smart," Francois Sr. told the media after the game, "You don't win any games in the spring."

The offense wasn't the only highlight on Saturday. Defensive end (?) Marcellus Smith was lined up everywhere on the defense and against a lesser offense, probably would have caused more problems than he did. He had two pressures and a would-be sack but had plenty of other plays where he was a half-second away from getting to the quarterback and in others, he forced the quarterback out of the pocket and stopped pursuit where in a real game, he probably would have gotten the sack or the pressure.

Smith's brother, Brandon, also showed flashes at nose tackle in the first half. He had some good battles with center Kyle Jones and guard Ray Anderson, often times double teamed. Even when Brandon wasn't playing in the second half, he was taking part in some drills with staff members off to the side and his conditioning seemed to hold up.

This year's team breakdown was a bit different than year's past where one team has the first team offense and the backups on defense and vice versa for the other team. This year, it was all mixed in so it was harder to tell who the current starters are but it was noticeable that Steve Bailey, last year's starter at left guard, was mostly at left tackle when Cunningham was in the game. When that was the case, it was Jake Thompson, last year's backup center, at left guard.

Cornerback Jake Johnson got some snaps at safety, wide receiver and running back. After the game, Francois Sr. cited versatility as Johnson's best trait and something that could carry over into the season as the Bulls did with limited numbers at safety (5 scholarships players), running back (3 total, 2 currently in the spring) and receiver (6).

Tearz49ers · Post by **Tearz49ers** » 30 Jul 2023, 12:35

Nice to see my USF uniforms being used! I have just dropped cleaner, updated versions today bud

Post by **Soapy** » 31 Jul 2023, 07:33

Tearz49ers wrote: ↑
30 Jul 2023, 12:35
Nice to see my USF uniforms being used! I have just dropped cleaner, updated versions today bud

that's crazy lmao i've been unable to get them working properly for ps3 (the numbers and text are blurry in game) so ended up removing them.

Post by **Soapy** » 31 Jul 2023, 08:00

With a third offensive coordinator in as many years, USF quarterback Mark Cunningham looking forward to building relationship with new OC
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

USF junior quarterback Mark Cunningham doesn't shy away from the fact that DeMarcus Bennett's hiring to replace Peter Nicholson as USF's offensive coordinator three years ago was one of the reasons that the long time Penn State commitment reopened his recruitment and eventually flipped to the Bulls.

Cunningham played just one season with Bennett as a true freshman before the coach headed to UCF to be their head coach. After another one-year experience with Rhett Lashlee who also took a head coaching job elsewhere (Texas A&M), Cunningham not only found himself with a third offensive coordinator in three years but the same one that he admittedly never clicked with as a high school recruit.

"I wouldn't say it was awkward," said Cunningham of his first interactions with Nicholson upon his re-hiring at USF, "He's a different kind of guy than some of the previous coaches I've worked with but I came to USF to play for this program and for coach [Malcolm Francois Sr.] so I trust his judgement. We built a really good working relationship in the spring and I think it's just going to keep getting better."

Nicholson was one of four new hires on the offensive side of the ball with running back coach Anthony Montgomery, receiver's coach Marco Mason, and tight end's coach Buck Burns all accepting offensive coordinator gigs. With a brand new staff on that size of the ball outside of offensive line coach Ryan Williams, Nicholson leaned on veterans such as Cunningham to translate the new offense to the rest of the team.

"It's different but similar in a lot of ways," says Cunningham of the team's new offense after the spring game where his only incompletions were drops, "It's definitely a quarterback friendly offense, it gives you chances to make big plays down the field."

Former USF quarterback Jared Chavis threw the ball 543 times in his one season running Nicholson's offense and ran it 161 times, leading the team in carries. Cunningham worked out with Chavis a few times in the summer, picking the Minnesota Vikings' backup quarterback's brain.

"He just stressed keeping that line of communication open," Cunningham says of Chavis' biggest advice to him, "If something's not working, let him know or if you need help with understanding a concept or a series better, ask him because he'll break it down for you."

Cunningham threw for 3,884 yards and 29 touchdowns last season but his seventeen interceptions is something he's hoping to bring down to single digits. The junior is one of the top draft eligible quarterbacks but 30 total turnovers in his first twenty starters is something that concern scouts. Cunningham will have a chance to improve his draft stock in Nicholson's pass heavy offense aided by four former five-star receivers in Carl Graham, Scott Price and true freshmen Joshua Butler and Eddie Shaw.

Post by **Soapy** » 31 Jul 2023, 10:40

What USF fans should be looking for as Bulls enter fall camp in pursuit of three-peat
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

Once more, the University of South Florida will begin preparations for another football season as defending national champions with a chance at history in becoming the first team in program history to have a claim to three consecutive national championships. They would also be the first back-to-back winners under the college football playoff system.

The Bulls will open fall camp on Friday with the Green and Gold Bash which will be a star studded event with recruits on campus as well as alumni for the first fall practice. Even as a preseason favorite to repeat, the Bulls have a ton of question marks that will need to be answered before their opener against top ranked Alabama for the second year in a row.

The offensive line situation between the veterans and the new guys
USF improved the depth along its offensive line with the addition of Kyle Wilson, Blake Mitchell and Josh Henry in the spring and arriving in the summer were five-star Nick Ryan and four-star Sam Jefferson.

Steve Bailey, last year's starter at guard, is likely the team's left tackle after playing there in the spring game, freeing up a starting spot for former five-star Jake Thompson who has been the team's backup center for the past two seasons.

Thompson's spot in the starting five won't be unchallenged with the arrival of Ryan, who is talented enough to push Thompson even as a true freshman. This might even be Ryan's job to lose had he gotten there in the spring but will have about a month and change to prove to the coaching staff that he's the better option over Thompson whose career has been uneventful thus far.

Another sneaky battle to watch is right tackle Cole Britton, who gave up eight sacks last season. Similar to Ryan, Jefferson's late arrival might keep him off the field but Britton's starting role isn't penciled in and a poor performance in camp could see the fifth-year senior lose his job.

Will USF continue to play coy with Julian Harrell's position status?
USF defensive coordinator Trai Martinez has brushed aside all questions about Freshman All-American Julian Harrell potentially following Kyle Locher's foot step from IMG Academy graduate to safety for USF and eventually to linebacker.

Harrell played both safety and linebacker in the Bulls spring game although Martinez was quick to point out that being in the box doesn't make a player a linebacker.

"I wouldn't say he was playing linebacker," Martinez told the media after the spring game, "Damon [Hill] and Ryan Robinson were playing MIKE and WILL on those plays, just because we move our safeties around, that doesn't make them linebackers."

With the season now just weeks away, eventually, Martinez and the Bulls staff will need to make a decision and decide what Harrell is, even if it means that he's a hybrid of safety or a linebacker. Martinez makes a fair point that regardless of the positional tag placed on him, what's more important is who Harrell is on the field with. If he continues to be the third man in the box with Hill and Robinson on the field, he's likely a box safety. But if we see just Hill out there with him, the switch to linebacker might indeed have happened.

How involved will Justin Thomas be in the offense?
We know Jacob Wheeler is USF's best offensive player but at 180 pounds, Wheeler doesn't necessarily have the frame to be a workhorse, at least not at his most effective form.

The Bulls were able to spell Wheeler last season with Kellen Wright, another extremely talented running back in his own right that would be the undisputed lead back for many teams across the country. With Wright gone and Dominique Shelton transferring to Georgia Tech, the Bulls are down to just three scholarship running backs in Wheeler, Victor King (no carries in his career), and incoming five-star true freshman Justin Thomas.

It's always tough to protect true freshmen that weren't there in the spring but Thomas is talented enough, just as Wheeler did when he arrived in the summer, to play right away even with the condensed offseason.

Who starts at tight end? Keep an eye on Marcellus Smith
USF likes redshirt sophomore Taylor Smith whose physical attributes are intriguing at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, one of the Bulls thicker tight end prospects in recent years. They also think true freshman Joe Wilson can eventually become something and Earl May, a high school running back, showed flashes last season at H-back with two receiving touchdowns and will likely play tight end in this offense.

The ultimate wild card in the positional battle at tight end is Marcellus Smith, the junior edge rusher who played the position in high school and played a few snaps there as a true freshman at USF, catching a touchdown pass.

Just how good can Mark Cunningham be in this offense?
USF offensive coordinator Peter Nicholson wants to throw the ball and attack the defense vertically and out on the perimeter. He has the receivers to do so in Scott Price and Carl Graham, a running back that can be involved in the passing game in Jacob Wheeler, a veteran offensive line for the most part and a trigger man in Mark Cunningham that continues to get better.

The only question is just how high is the ceiling on Cunningham, a former four-star prospect that was the top ranked quarterback in his class.

Post by **Soapy** » 31 Jul 2023, 13:59

Three-peat? Unheard of in modern college football history but the Bulls might just be talented enough to do it
Adriana Castillo -- usfwire.usatoday.com

After winning the national championship in 2040, many expected USF to take a bit of a step back last season as they lost a ton of talent and it was going to be a reload year for the Bulls. Instead, USF won the national championship in back to back seasons and are now back again entering the preseason as the number two ranked team in the country and trying to be the first team in modern college football history to three peat.

Ten Best USF Players
1. HB Jacob Wheeler, Junior
2. CB Charlie Robinson, Junior
3. CB Travis Jones, Rs Junior
4. WR Scott Price, Sophomore
5. QB Mark Cunningham, Junior
6. C Kyle Jones, Junior
7. DT Brandon Smith, Junior
8. WR Carl Graham, Junior
9. CB Akeem Smith, Junior
10. DE Marcellus Smith, Junior

Schedule
Sep. 6 vs. #1 Alabama
Sep. 13 at #14 Oklahoma
Sep. 20 at #4 Stanford
Oct. 5 vs. UCF (Homecoming)
Oct. 11 vs. #19 Michigan
Oct. 18 at #12 Georgia
Nov. 1 at Purdue
Nov. 8 at #13 BYU (night game)
Nov. 15 vs. #3 Texas
Nov. 22 vs. #21 Oregon
Nov. 29 at #6 Florida State
Dec. 6 vs. #17 Michigan State (Senior Night)

Preseason All-Americans
HB Jacob Wheeler, Junior (first team)
CB Charlie Robinson, Junior (first team)
CB Travis Jones, Junior (first team)
WR Scott Price, Sophomore (second team)

Preseason All-Champions Division
HB Jacob Wheeler, Junior (first team)
WR Scott Price, Sophomore (first team)
CB Charlie Robinson, Junior (first team)
CB Travis Jones, Junior (first team)
S Clarence Sullivan, Sophomore (first team)
QB Mark Cunningham, Junior (second team)
DT Brandon Smith, Junior (second team)
CB Akeem Smith, Junior (second team)

What to watch for on offense: It's a new coordinator in Peter Nicholson who is known for letting his quarterback air it out and he has a talented one in Mark Cunningham who has all of the tools to go from a very good college quarterback to perhaps an elite one in this offense that has arguably the best running back in college football in Jacob Wheeler and one of the better wide receivers rooms with Scott Price and Carl Graham.

What to watch for on defense: USF returns most of the defense up front and in the secondary but what they are losing is linebackers Kyle Locher, the team's best player the past two seasons, first round pick E.J. Young and Noah Wester.

The production of Locher will be virtually impossible to replace but the Bulls defense have plenty of talent around his replacement, another talented prospect in Damon Hill who played some last season as a true freshman. Charlie Robinson intercepted eight passes last season and Travis Jones had five interceptions of his own to give USF probably the best cornerback room in the country.

The team will be far better if... Cunningham turns down the turnovers and Nicholson is able to find a balance in his offense. In his lone season at USF three years ago, the Bulls didn't have a 1,000-yard rusher and Jared Chavis threw 21 interceptions. While that team still won the national championship, Jacob Wheeler is far too talented to not be utilized heavily in this offense, either as a runner or a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Defensively, Trai Martinez is a wizard and should have this defense humming once more but the one thing lacking from last season's top ranked unit is a consistent pass rush and an elite pass rusher that's going to flirt around the double digit sack total. There are a few candidates this year in Marcellus Smith, Kareem Cunningham and even an interior guy like Brandon Smith.

The Schedule: USF once again opens the season against Alabama, except this time its at home. They then have back to back road trips to #14 Oklahoma and #4 Stanford, who they split the season series with last season.

They catch their breathe for a bit with UCF and #19 Michigan at home before a road trip to #12 Georgia, unranked Purdue who beat them last season and #13 BYU, who they beat in the national championship game last season. They end the season with a tough stretch of #3 Texas, #21 Oregon and a road trip to Florida State before ending the season at home against Michigan State.

While it is a tough schedule, as expected in the Champions Division, they avoid any potential extreme weather games by playing Michigan, Michigan State and Oregon at home and play Purdue and BYU early enough in November that it could be nice weather. They also get Alabama and Stanford early enough in the season that neither team will be humming along.

Best offensive player: It's Wheeler and not particularly close either although Scott Price closed the gap a bit last season with his play in the playoffs.

Best defensive player: Pick your poison. Charlie Robinson is a ball hawking corner with great ball skills while Travis Jones might be the team's best pure corner in terms of coverage ability, both press and in zone. Brandon Smith is probably the most unique defensive player they have on the roster as he eats up space and is also a threat as a pass rusher from the interior and perhaps the most freakishly athletic of all of them is Marcellus, Brandon's brother, who might be the highest drafted player from the defense with his versatility.

Key players to a successful season: Cunningham might be the simple answer offensively but another interesting position is tight end where the Bulls lost Jeff Rutledge, one of their better players from last year. They have a few guys at the position in Earl May and Taylor Smith but Rutledge was an important piece in not just the passing game but USF's success in the running game.

Defensively, the spotlight is on Marcellus Smith as he'll be tasked with replacing E.J. Young's versatility as a pass rusher, edge setter in the running game and even being asked to cover tight ends and running backs.

The season will be a success if...USF wins at least one playoff game.

Key game: The only team to go undefeated against USF last year, the Bulls will be circling that Purdue grudge match. While they will face tougher opponents before and after that game, it's one of their few unranked opponents and in the Champions Division, you need to bank those in order to make up for other potential losses.

Game by Game Predictions
Sep. 6 vs. #1 Alabama: W
Sep. 13 at #14 Oklahoma: W
Sep. 20 at #4 Stanford: L
Oct. 5 vs. UCF: W
Oct. 11 vs. #19 Michigan: W
Oct. 18 at #12 Georgia: W
Nov. 1 at Purdue: W
Nov. 8 at #13 BYU: W
Nov. 15 vs. #3 Texas: W
Nov. 22 vs. #21 Oregon: W
Nov. 29 at #6 Florida State: W
Dec. 6 vs. #17 Michigan State: W

Post by **Soapy** » 31 Jul 2023, 14:48

Bulls Green and Gold Bash an ultimate success as six players, including five star receiver Ryan Murray, commit
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

When you win back-to-back national championships and three in four years, top ranked prospects want to come play for you. USF is reaping the rewards of their recent success with six highly touted prospects committing to the Bulls during their annual Green and Gold Bash at the start of fall camp.

The yearly event is a star studded occurrence with recruits on campus as well as alumni to celebrate the first fall practice. It also marks the earliest that USF's coaching staff will accept commitments from recruits as they do not accept commitments from non-high school seniors, a protocol put in place by USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. shortly into his tenure at USF.

The top ranked player from that list is five-star receiver Ryan Murray out of Springdale, Ohio who picked USF over Texas, Rutgers, Michigan State and Purdue. The ideal slot receiver, Murray fits perfectly into USF's offense that signed two highly touted outside receivers in Eddie Shaw and Joshua Butler. While Murray is far from a burner, he does a great job of creating separating with his release, great route running and overall feel for the game. With Carl Graham likely headed to the NFL after this season, Murray is an early candidate to replace him.

While Murray's physical tools might not be out of this world, that's the perfect way to describe South Carolina defensive end Brian Neal as the jumbo prospect joins an increasing list of top prospects to commit to USF from the Palmetto State. At six-foot-eight and 260 pounds, the Neal is oozing with potential if he's able to put it together as he has the ideal physical traits to be a strongside defensive end in USF's 3-4 base defense. He has some positional versatility to either remain on the edge or even kick inside as a defensive tackle in even fronts.

Staying at defensive end but going in state is an even higher ranked prospect in Orlando's Dante Avery. While Avery might not have the eye popping testing numbers, he's one of the more advanced pass rushers in the class and a well rounded prospect that is easy to project at the next level as an edge rusher. The only question is if Avery is good enough in space to play outside backer in USF's 3-4 look or will he strictly be a defensive end in USF's sub packages with him coming off the edge? Florida State, Miami, Alabama and hometown UCF were in his recruitment.

The third highest ranked of the commits, Pensacola's Cameron Stokes might be the most intriguing of them all. A high school quarterback who USF is recruiting as a skill player at the next level, Stokes is an incredibly smooth athlete that could play a number of each position at the next level, including defensive back or running back. USF DB coach Anthony McPherson has been Stokes' primary recruiter so he likely will start his college career there and see where it goes.

USF wrapped up the night with two more commitments from local prospects at positions of needs with guard Brian Jackson and linebacker Nate Jacobs committing to their hometown Bulls. Jackson is the sixth ranked guard in this class and figures to be a potential early contributor as USF continues to rebuild that interior of its offensive line, signing five-star center Nick Ryan in the last cycle.

With Jacobs, USF get a long and physical traditional inside linebacker to eventually replace another local stud in Damon Hill who projects as USF's starting MIKE linebacker for at least the next two seasons.

2043 USF Recruiting Class
WR Ryan Murray [WR #1]: 6'0", 180lbs | Springdale, OH | 5-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 200 Squat Max
DE Dante Avery [DE #9]: 6'2", 255lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
DB Cameron Stokes [ATH #31]: 6'3", 205lbs | Pensacola, FL | 4-star | 4.44 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 290 Squat Max
G Brian Jackson [G #36]: 6'3", 312lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.84 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press Max, 620 Squat Max
LB Nate Jacobs [ILB #6]: 6'5", 225lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 345 Bench Press Max, 645 Squat Max
DE Brian Neal [DE #17]: 6'8", 260lbs | Mullins, SC | 4-star | 4.64 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max

2043 USF Recruiting Board
WR Dave Parker [ATH #9]: 6'1", 214lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | USF, Florida State, Miami, UCF, Georgia Tech
CB Brandon Bryant [CB #1]: 6'1", 179lbs | Lakeland, FL | 4-star | Florida State, Miami, USF, Alabama, Florida
G Kevin Brown [G #4]: 6'4", 308lbs | Rome, GA | 4-star | USF, Middle Tennessee State, South Alabama, Georgia
CB Jonathan Brown [CB #3]: 6'1", 164lbs | McKinney, TX | 4-star | USF, Stanford, Southern Miss, Purdue, Oklahoma
G Ed Foster [G #5]: 6'2", 321lbs | Dallas, TX | 4-star | USF, USC, Michigan State, Stanford, Georgia
S Shawn Franklin [S #5]: 6'3", 202lbs | Natchitoches, LA | 4-star | USF, LSU, Oregon, Auburn, Stanford
TE Russell Arrington [TE #5]: 6'6", 270lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Alabama, Miami, UCF, Mississippi State
CB Anthony Sharp [CB #7]: 5'9", 180lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Miami, Florida State, UCF, Georgia
TE Jake Bryant [TE #6]: 6'6", 260lbs | Canton, OH | 4-star | USF, Alabama, Stanford, Rutgers, BYU
G Luis Pearson [G #10]: 6'5", 294lbs | Shelby, NC [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Stanford, BYU, Rutgers, Purdue
C Brett Pennington [C #3]: 6'0", 304lbs | Fountain Hills, AZ [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Stanford, Michigan State, Virginia Tech
LB Oliver Colvin [OLB #13]: 6'3", 232lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Florida, Miami, UCF
DL Seth Whitaker [ATH #28]: 6'1", 252lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Florida
LB Marcus Wiley [OLB #55]: 6'2", 215lbs | Phoenixville, PA | 3-star | USF, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Michigan State
K Ricky Anderson [K #1]: 6'0", 178lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | USF, Miami, Florida State
P Mike Webb [P #2]: 5'11", 202lbs | St. Petersburg, FL | 3-star | Florida, Florida State, Miami, Alabama, USF

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