Strength in Unity.
Strength in Unity.
2032 and dudes still faxing?
Strength in Unity.
Nothing friendly about the QB competition going on in Tampa
Sean Caesar -- The Athletic Writer
Competitive on the field but friends off it. Pushing each other every day to get better, helping each other. Friendly, healthy competition.
USF foursome of quarterbacks don't have time for your typical quarterback battle tropes, he's too busy trying to win one.
"I wouldn't say we don't like each other," says redshirt sophomore Thomas Jackson of the starting quarterback between between himself, Brandon Wilson, Jared Barr and Jeff Jones, "I wouldn't say we like each other either."
Jackson enters spring as the favorite in what USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. called a wide open competition for QB1 between all of the quarterbacks on the roster. Jackson is the only one with meaningful playing experience as the team went to him down the stretch last season due to his running ability compared to that of senior Todd Woods.
Jackson impressed at times but his five interceptions in seventy attempts help keep the competition open heading into the offseason, especially when USF was able to sign the nation's 2nd ranked quarterback in Jeff Jones. Jackson says that Jones' recruitment help set the tone and Wilson shares the same sentiment.
"They're bringing in a guy to try to replace all of us." says Wilson, whose played sparingly with nine pass attempts through his first two seasons at USF, "We recognize that one of us is going to be the starter and the rest of us aren't and none of us came here to be a backup."
The wildcards are Jones and Barr, both who have never played in a true freshman in Jones and Barr redshirted last season. USF offensive coordinator Malcolm Francois Jr. was very complimentary of Jones' arm strength and arm talent when asked about the freshman early showings while Barr, on paper, is the Bulls most athletic option.
There's also the question of what kind of offense Francois Jr. will run in his first year taking over play calling duties. Wide receiver Max McDonald says they're some similarities between this offense and last year's but that it's also a bit different with more responsibilities on the receivers. It makes sense given that running backs Roger Shaw Jr. and Anthony Montgomery are preparing for the NFL draft and Francois Jr. coaches the receivers, as does his father, and have recruited a roster with five five-star receivers.
Now, they just need someone to get them the ball.
Strength in Unity.
Team Rocky Beats Team Bulls in Bulls Spring Game
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
Spring football came to a close at USF on Saturday as the Team Rocky topped Team Bulls squad 30-22 in the Bulls annual spring game.
Redshirt sophomore Thomas Jackson started at quarterback for Team Rocky, completing 23 of his 34 pass attempts for 162 yards and two touchdowns. His two scores were part of 24 unanswered points in the second quarter. He found senior Brent Cunningham on a three-yard pass followed by a four-yard strike to Robert Givens.
True freshman Jeff Jones earned the start at quarterback for Team Bulls, finishing 25-of-41 passing for 255 yards and one touchdown. Five of his passes went for 20 or more yards, including a 33-yard touchdown to fellow true freshman Buck Duckett with 11 seconds left in the first half. Senior Bryan Mangum was on the receiving end of a 45-yard scoring pass from Brandon Wilson, who was 8-of-11 passing for 101 yards and one touchdown while playing for both teams.
Also seeing action for both teams, redshirt freshman Jared Barr finished the day 9-for-13 passing with 144 yards and two touchdowns. He found Givens for a 58-yard touchdown and then hit Marques Iosefo for a seven-yard score for the Team Bulls to make the score 30-22 in the fourth quarter.
As expected, there was a noticeable drop off in the running game with redshirt junior Terrance Small having the longest run of the game on a 13-yard scamper up the left sideline. Danny Felder and William Jones led their respective teams in carries with eight but for the most part, it was a passing affair.
Defensively, it was a tough game for both teams. USF returns just one full-time starter from last season on defense in junior cornerback Damien Ford. Redshirt senior Adam Kelly and sophomore Richie Cowan were big contributors last season at nickel and dime while sophomore safeties Clayton Bradford and Zach Mack got plenty of playing time but the lack of cohesiveness was definitely felt on defense with a lot of busted coverages and the defense noticeably being out of place at the snap of the ball.
Standouts included redshirt senior linebacker Willie Lawrence, who led the game in tackles with sixteen. True freshman Will linebacker Chris Williams was second with eleven, getting the start next to Lawrence. The Bulls stayed a lot of in nickel and sub packages, rarely deploying three linebackers, a trend that could follow into the season as the team is limited at linebacker. Lawrence and junior Paul Williams have the most experience of the bunch which amounts to a grand total of three combines tackles during their time at USF.
USF also re-worked their offensive line, moving Michael Bowser from left tackle back to right tackle, where he started his career. Kyle Parker, last year's starting right tackle, got the start at left tackle with seniors Justin West and Luis Butler rotating at left guard. Last year starting center Cedric George played both center and right guard in the game, splitting reps at center with redshirt senior Daniel Moore. When George was at center, redshirt senior James Jones was at right guard.
Strength in Unity.
Air raid.
Strength in Unity.
Bulls end season with home stand, can they make it there with East division still in play?
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
The post Roger Shaw Jr. era at USF won't have an easy start with three top 25 matchups in the first half of the season, two of which are on the road.
USF's regular season schedule was released and from the looks of it, the Bulls once again have one of the tougher schedules in the country. While they finish the season with three straight home games, after a home stand against preseason No. 1 Alabama, the Bulls aren't home for over a month, including trips to East Lansing and Pullman that could entail bad weather.
While those will be College Gameday candidates, they hold no weight in the Bulls quest to win the SEC East, something they haven't done since Alabama joined their division during the most recent SEC realignment.
2033 USF Schedule
Aug. 27 vs. Arkansas
Sep. 3 at #21 LSU
Sep. 10 vs. Florida
Sep. 17 at Georgia*
Sep. 24 at #13 Ole Miss*
Oct. 1 vs. #1 Alabama**
OPEN
Oct. 16 at #5 Michigan State*
Oct. 22 at Auburn
Oct. 29 at Washington State
OPEN
Nov. 12 vs. #16 Florida State
Nov. 19 vs. #10 Miami
Nov. 25 vs. Central Florida***
*denotes night game (subject to change)
** denotes Homecoming
*** denotes Senior Night
Strength in Unity.
Despite moving away from the position in the past years, Bulls have an elite prospect at tight end leading their class
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Every strong recruiting class needs a vocal leader and for USF's 2034 class, the voice is loud and clear.
Five-star tight end Chris Wallace out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida committed to the Bulls as soon as the coaching staff's recruiting rules would allow him to do so and even before then, he's been their biggest supported.
Wallace, who says he models his game after former Bulls tight end Vincent Everett, is the nation's third ranked tight end and spent the last two seasons at IMG Academy before returning to American Heritage this season where he hopes to compete for another state title after winning one there as a true freshman. USF landed three commits last season from IMG Academy.
Listed at just six-foot-one and 218 pounds, Wallace isn't your typical tight end but rather a receiver that's not afraid to get his hands dirty in the run blocking game, similar to Everett who was also undersized for the position height wise. This is why Wallace isn't worried about being committed to a school that's been using their tight ends less and less.
"If you're good, they get you the ball. They highlight their best players," says Wallace.
Wallace is among three USF commits that entering their senior season, the other being 4-star Port Charlotte (Florida) defensive end Jordan Odom and 3-star Georgia outside linebacker Clint Parker. Odom is an athletic, twitchy pass rusher while Parker has all the physical tools to be a potential early contributor despite his three-star ranking.
Wallace says he's in close contact with Top 247 Sports second ranked recruit this cycle in Lehigh Acres' Bobby Jackson. Wallace tried to recruit Jackson to IMG last season and hopes the second time around, he's able to close the deal. So does USF's coaching staff who view him as a top priority this cycle.
Other five-stars on their radar include Mississippi linebacker Josh Anderson, Pennsylvania receiver Stephen Jenkins, Alabama running back Daniel Green, Florida receiver Will Green and Texas cornerback Chuck Jennings.
2034 USF Recruiting Class
TE Chris Wallace [TE #3]: 6'1", 218lbs | Plantation, FL | 5-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press Max, 315 Squat Max
DE Jordan Odom [DE #12]: 6'3", 247lbs | Port Charlotte, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 400 Bench Press Max, 580 Squat Max
LB Clint Parker [OLB #27]: 6'3", 231lbs | Fort Gordon, GA | 3-star | 4.56 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 640 Squat Max
2034 USF Recruiting Board
HB Bobby Jackson [HB #2]: 5'9", 187lbs | Lehigh Acres, FL | 5-star | USF, Alabama, Ole Miss
LB Josh Anderson [ILB #2]: 6'2", 229lbs | Wiggins, MS | 5-star | USF, Alabama, Florida State
HB/WR Stephen Jenkins [ATH #3]: 6'2", 215lbs | Waynesboro, PA | 5-star | USF, Florida State, Ohio State
HB/WR Daniel Green [ATH #4]: 5'10", 187lbs | Florence, AL | 5-star | USF, Florida State, Miami
CB Chuck Jennings [CB #1]: 6'0", 192lbs | Canyon Lake, TX | 5-star | Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, USF
WR Will Green [WR #2]: 6'4", 197lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | USF, Miami, Florida State
CB Jeremy Daniels [CB #2]: 6'0", 167lbs | Bradenton, FL [IMG] | 5-star | USF, Georgia Tech
LB Travis Thomas [OLB #1]: 6'0", 234lbs | Dolton, IL | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Miami
DE Luke Cason [DE #8]: 6'3", 273lbs | Monrovia, CA | 4-star | USF, Oregon, Wisconsin
S Fred Harris [S #2]: 6'2", 190lbs | Port Huron, MI [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Oregon, Navy
G Eric Johnson [G #2]: 6'1", 302lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Miami, Florida State
DT Russ Bailey [DT #10]: 6'2", 267lbs | San Antonio, TX | 4-star | USF, Ohio State, Texas
G Dennis Woods [G #4]: 6'4", 321lbs | Mission, TX | 4-star | USF, Florida State, Texas
S Alex Griffith [S #12]: 6'0", 218lbs | St. Simons, GA | 3-star | USF, Georgia, Florida
Strength in Unity.
Givens jersey coronation among notables from Bulls first scrimmage
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist
USF offensive coordinator Malcolm Francois Jr. was still a young receiver when he would hear his father, then unproven USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr., talk about how Zac White was a professional receiver as a high schooler.
Francois Jr. never quite understood what that really meant. Now, he knows it all too well and is seeing it first hand.
"Robert [Givens] is a pro through and through," said Francois Jr. of his sophomore receiver who was awarded with the No. 1 jersey, a feat rarely done by a second-year player, "He's a pro in the weight room, classroom, film room, getting extra work done and obviously on the field. We have high expectations for him this season and beyond."
Givens is part of a foursome at receiver that is among the nation's best with Max McDonald on the opposite flank and Bryan Mangum and Brent Cunningham, two of the nation's fastest receivers, inside. Givens caught 56 passes last season, most among USF receivers, with not a single drop on the year.
We know USF has good receivers, do they have someone that can get them the ball? That wasn't the case in the first few days of camp according to reports and the quarterbacks themselves, particularly Thomas Jackson and Jeff Jones that have started to pull away in the quarterback competition.
Jones threw two early interceptions in their first fall scrimmage this past Saturday but eventually settled down, throwing three touchdowns. Jackson wasn't efficient as a passer, completing less than fifty percent of his passes in the stats released by the coaches but had two rushing touchdowns.
Other notes from the first week of fall camp and the scrimmage:
- Interior offensive line still a work in progress
The Bulls coaching staff was pretty confident in their bookends at tackle, switching Michael Bowser from left tackle to right tackle, where he'll likely play at the next level, and likewise for redshirt junior Kyle Parker who struggled at times last season at right tackle but showed promise, enough for them to trust him at left tackle.
USF lost two starters at guard in Larry Felder and Ben Brown, replacing them with a senior in Justin West at left guard and Cedric George on the right, who played center last season. Daniel Moore, a former five-star with just one game played through three seasons, is currently running with the first team at center.
West started as a true freshman at right tackle, struggled, got benched and has played sparingly since. George weighs 262 pounds and is playing his third position in as many years after playing right tackle as a true freshman. Moore is a fifth-year senior who struggled mightily when he first got to USF and is now finally getting his chance. This isn't the unit you'd want, resume wise, protecting a young quarterback, whether that'd be Jackson or Jones.
- - The secondary has a chance to be special if the front seven can hold up
Even after losing Kareem Hunter, USF has a very strong secondary with junior Damien Ford leading the way along with the two extremely talented sophomore safeties in Clayton Bradford and Zach Mack.
The leader of the group has surprisingly been Adam Kelly, a fifth-year senior that was a three-star local prospect that many viewed as just a special teams contributor. He cracked the two-deep in 2031 and lost his nickel spot to Richie Cowan last season but he's held fast to his CB2 role this year, keeping Cowan in the slot. When the Bulls go 'good on good' at practice, it's usually Kelly who draws the matchup with Givens and it's a battle out there. This bodes well for the Bulls chance to improve a pass defense that on paper struggled at times last season.
The only question mark is if they'll be able to overcome the inexperienced up front. You'll find zero combined starts and six combined career tackles among the projected starters at defensive line and linebacker, which will likely force Bob Shoop to stay in sub packages. The Bulls have found success with sub looks in the past but that's been with dominant interior defensive linemen that can dominate the line of scrimmage. USF's defensive tackle rotation consists of three freshman defensive tackles and two sophomores.
- - Francois Jr. still waiting for someone to be the lead back
Francois Jr. has been adamant that in his offense, he prefers to have a lead back that gets into rhythm instead of going by committee. Many expected the latter after the team signed three talented running backs in the last two classes and have a redshirt junior in Terrance Small.
They've tried to make Felder that guy but he hasn't found much success, lacking the juice that Roger Shaw Jr. brought -- obviously -- and even Anthony Montgomery. True freshman Jason Gibson didn't have a good spring and has likely found himself at the bottom of the depth chart.
An interesting name to watch for? Six-foot-two, 211 pound William Jones who was uber productive in high school and has the physical makeup of an elite running back. He can sometimes run tentative and that will need to be fixed but don't be surprised if by the end of the season, he's their lead back.
- - Don't sleep on junior tight end Matthew Smith
Smith failed to get a target in the spring game but caught five passes in the scrimmage for 69 yards. He caught three touchdown passes last season in limited playing time and while the four receivers will get a lot of attention and targets, the Bulls need all the help they can get in the running game and Smith should be able to get on the field to assist in certain packages in that regard. In order for the team to not get too predictable with certain personnel, they're bound to get him involved in the passing game as well and he's looked impressive as a runner both in public spring practices and in the fall.