Strength in Unity.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Dec 2023, 11:12

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Dec 2023, 09:29

Top 30 USF Players of Francois Era: No. 2 - Roger Shaw Jr. (2030-2032)
Charlie Flowers -- gousfbulls.com

Recruiting Profile: 20th ranked ATH in 2030 | 6'2", 218lbs | Alhambra, CA | 4-star
Career Stats: 7 of 10, 86 yards, touchdown, interception, 658 carries, 4514 yards, 66 touchdowns, 103 receptions, 958 yards, 7 touchdowns
Record vs. UCF: 3-0
-- W 52-28: 15 carries, 122 yards, 2 touchdowns
-- W 50-33: 32 carries, 209 yards, 5 touchdowns
-- W 42-32: 22 carries, 238 yards, 3 touchdowns, 4 receptions, 67 yards
Conference Championships: 0
Bowl Record: 3-0 (Citrus Bowl, BCS NCG, Cotton Bowl)
National Championships: 1
Accolades: 2031 1st team All-American, 2031 1st team All-SEC, 2031 Heisman Award winner (best player), 2031 Walter Camp Award Winner (best offensive player), 2031 Doak Walker Award Winner (best running back), 2032 1st team All-American, 2032 1st team All-SEC, 2032 Heisman Award winner (best player), 2032 Walter Camp Award Winner (best offensive player), 2032 Doak Walker Award Winner (best running back)

A former high school quarterback, Shaw came into USF with a ton of potential but not a lot of clarity as the coaching staff -- and Shaw -- were still figuring out what he would be at the next level. He spent his freshman year as the third running back behind former five-stars E.J. Thomas and Pookie Harrell but by season's end, it was clear that Shaw would be a focus point of the offense with a two-touchdown performance against UCF in the regular season finale and in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan, he had three total touchdowns to showcase his versatility.

Shaw's Heisman campaign began in the spring game, rushing for 222 yards and three touchdowns to establish himself as the unquestioned leader of the offense. Shaw would catch fire midway through the season, rushing for 211 yards against Auburn and followed it up with a 258-yard performance against North Carolina the next week, loudly introducing himself to the college football world. He'd rush for 240 yards against Florida State to make it three consecutive weeks of rushing for over 200 yards, all but locking up the Heisman Trophy with a five-touchdown, 209-yard night against UCF in the regular season finale.

After winning the Heisman, Shaw would rush for 174 yards in the BCS National Championship Game as the Bulls beat Ohio State to win the program's fourth national championship game. He finished the season with 1,993 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns.

His junior season would be a model of consistency, rushing for at least 100 yards in four consecutive game before totaling 99 yards in the fifth game against Alabama. He'd finish with over 100-yards in every game for the rest of the season, including twice going over 200-yards in games against Florida State and UCF. Shaw would win the Heisman once more, becoming the trophy's first two-time winner since Ohio State's Archie Griffin and Oklahoma's Nathan Woods.

In the Cotton Bowl, Shaw replaced Todd Woods and Thomas Jackson in the second half, with Jackson having thrown a pick six to end the half and give Kansas a 10-7 lead at the half. Shaw finished the game 7 of 10 passing for 86 yards with a touchdown, his lone interception coming on a deep shot to the endzone where his receiver was outjumped for the football. He also rushed for 181 yards and a touchdown, breaking his own single season rushing touchdown record at USF with his 30th rushing touchdown. He rushed for 2,051 yards and led the team with 58 receptions as well.

Arguably the best two seasons in program history, Shaw did it all with average quarterback play and is one of the more dynamic players in college football history.

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Dec 2023, 10:01

Spring Confidential: Assessing USF's defense heading into spring practices
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 additional 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: Kyle Wood (Sr), John Potts (Jr), James Foster (Rs-Jr), Dante Avery (So), Seth Whitaker (So),
Additions: 4-star Alex Kelley (summer arrival)
Losses: Marcellus Smith (graduation/draft)

Marcellus Smith was the leader of the unit for the past few seasons so losing him is a big hit but the Bulls have plenty of talented players waiting in the wings for their opportunity in Dante Avery, Seth Whitaker and even John Potts and James Foster who are juniors but haven't played much so far in their career.

The veteran of the group is Kyle Wood who came in with plenty of hype but hasn't had a ton of production with eight career sacks in three seasons but did post career best numbers in 2043 with 11 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks. He'll need to continue developing into a compete player and not just a twitchy pass rusher.

Defensive Tackle
Returning: DT Shawn Thomas (Sr), DT Brent Craft (Rs-So), DT Brian Neal (Rs-Fr), DT James Boyd (Rs-Fr)
Additions: 4-star Dan James (early enrollee)
Losses: NT Brandon Smith (graduation/draft)

Brandon Smith might be the biggest loss -- literally and figuratively -- of the entire defense as they head into next season without a true nose tackle. Thomas (6-1, 296lbs) could potentially play the role, as could true freshman Dan James (6-5, 280) but it's a physically demanding position to ask a true freshman to play, especially when they aren't the monster of a man that Smith was physically.

It's put up or shut up time for Thomas who was a five-star prospect but through three seasons has recorded just four career tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. While some of that can be attributed to being stuck behind Smith, he played plenty of snaps last season and failed to make much of an impact.

Behind Thomas, it's a pretty thin group in terms of experience with Brian Neal and James Boyd being former high school defensive ends that are still transitioning into playing defensive tackle at the next level.

Linebacker
Returning: OLB James Scott (Rs-Sr), OLB Cory Manson (Sr), OLB Richard Smith (Rs-Sr), OLB Joey Franklin (Rs-Sr), OLB Oliver Colvin (So), OLB Marcus Wiley (Rs-Fr), ILB Damon Hill (Sr), ILB Julian Harrell (Sr), ILB Ryan Robinson (Sr), ILB Garin Hart (Rs-Jr), ILB Nate Jacobs (So), ILB Eric Robinson (Rs-So)
Additions: 4-star OLB Ryan Jones (early enrollee), 4-star OLB Paul Mason (early enrollee), 4-star OLB Kevin Harris (early enrollee), 4-star ILB Justin Smith (summer arrival)
Losses: OLB Joel Espinosa (graduation), OLB Eric Wheeler (graduation)

A room with plenty of depth, Richard Smith and Oliver Colvin project to be the starters at outside linebacker once more with both playing at borderline elite levels when they were healthy. Behind them, it's a healthy mix of experienced backups in James Scott and Corey Manson as well as some intriguing young prospects in Ryan Jones and Paul Mason. Kevin Harris is another interesting name but at 180 pounds, he'll need plenty of seasoning and developing physically before he's ready to play.

At inside linebacker, the Bulls return the entire group with a rotation of Damon Hill, Julian Harrell and Nate Jacobs as the likely starters. Ryan Robinson was a starter in 2042, recording 30 tackles and lost his starting job to Jacobs last season, giving the Bulls plenty of depth at that position as well.

Cornerback
Returning: Ronald Berry (Rs-Jr), Thomas Felder (Jr), Brandon Bryant (So), Anthony Sharp (Rs-Fr)
Additions: 4-star Ernest Bright (early enrollee), 4-star Sean Hart (early enrollee)
Losses: Travis Jones (graduation/draft), Ernest Jones (draft)

The Bulls lose their top two corners in Travis Jones and Ernest Jones who are going to be tough to replace in terms of experience but in terms of talent, it shouldn't be too much of a drop off as replacing them are talented players in their own right in Thomas Felder and Brandon Bryant who are heralded recruits.

Anthony Sharp was another standout in the spring last year who the Bulls got to redshirt last year. Add him into the mix along with the two four-stars in Ernest Bright and Sean Hart and the room is in good hands.

Safety
Returning: Mike Mason (Jr), Lamar McNair (Jr), Shawn Franklin (So)
Additions: 4-star Michael Williams (early enrollee), 4-star Courtney Jones (early enrollee)
Losses: Anthony Gunn (graduation/draft), Clarence Sullivan (draft), Jake Johnson (graduation)

The silver lining of Clarence Sullivan's suspension last year was that the Bulls got to prepare for life without one of the country's best safeties and in his absence, his presence was definitely felt.

Lamar McNair moved from corner to safety last year and played a ton of snaps prior to Sullivan's return so he should continue to improve at that position and will likely replace Anthony Gunn at free safety. On his heels will be true freshmen Michael Williams and Courtney Jones with Williams being an impressive athlete with a high IQ that could push McNair for that starting spot.

At strong safety, Mason saw a lot of action in his sophomore season, finishing the year with 28 tackles, four tackles for loss and two interceptions. He'll need to improve his coverage skills and take on a leadership role in the secondary if he wants to take that next step into being more than just a bruising big hitter that's patrolling the secondary.

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Dec 2023, 10:27

USF still looking for its identity, leaders following physical, 'sloppy' spring game
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

About an hour removed from the conclusion of the Bulls' spring game, USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. was still visibly upset as he spoke to the media.

"I don't think we played very well," Francois Sr. told the media, "There was a lot of mistakes, mental errors, things of that nature. From a physicality standpoint, I was pleased with the effort but outside of that, not a lot of feel good leaving the stadium."

Team Bulls, led by backup quarterbacks Chris Price and Kevin Meadows, beat Team Rocky and the presumed starting offense 30-10 in a game that featured four turnovers, a blocked punt and a missed extra point due to a bad snap.

It was a tough day for starting quarterback Rashad Woodard who was intercepted twice and striped of the football in the red zone. Woodard did have an impressive touchdown throw to true freshman Donald Jones, who got the start at outside receiver opposite of Joshua Butler with Eddie Shaw in the slot.

Butler had three catches for 78 yards and was one of the lone bright spots for the Rocky offense who struggled to stay on the field.

On defense, it was a big day for redshirt freshman James Boyd who had three quarterback pressures that in a real game might have resulted in a sack. Boyd is over 300-pounds now according to defensive line coach Taylor Fletcher after coming in as a 275-pound tweener out of high school.

Brandon Bryant and Thomas Felder brought down interceptions from Woodard while Anthony Sharp picked off Meadows, the true freshman quarterback who tried to make an acrobatic throw on the run but was intercepted.

Martinez complimented the effort from both defenses but also noted a lack of vocal leadership with the loss of Marcellus Smith, Brandon Smith, Travis Jones and Clarence Sullivan who led their respective units.

"It's a lot of guys looking around," Martinez added, "They're looking for someone to tell them what to do, what adjustments are we making and if we're good. They're used to having [Sullivan] or [Smith brothers] or Travis [Jones] being there to bail them out, make calls for them, get them lined up and throughout the spring, we've been there holding their hands but it's over now, they need to make those calls."

Notable absences from the spring game included linebackers James Scott and Corey Manson as well as receivers Nick Weiss and Andre Morgan. Francois Sr. said after the game that their absences weren't excused but expected, a sign they are no longer with the team.

Post by **Soapy** » 28 Dec 2023, 11:09

Bulls suffer more losses to the transfer portal as four backups join other programs
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Four USF players jumped into the transfer portal after spring football in linebackers James Scott and Cory Manson along with receivers Nick Weiss and Andre Morgan.

Scott, a redshirt senior, was a contributor in 2042 with 14 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and four sacks but fell down the depth chart in favor of Oliver Colvin and Joel Espinosa last season and was projected to be Colvin's backup this season.

Both Morgan and Weiss were part of the rotation last season at receiver with Morgan catching a career high 17 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Weiss saw an extended role following the injury to Ryan Murray, catching ten passes for 113 yards.

2044 Players Leaving » Career Stats
#28 Ernest Jones (CB, Junior): Declared Early » 78 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 7 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, fumble recovery
#1 Scott Price (WR, Junior): Declared Early » 262 receptions, 3536 yards, 39 touchdowns, 18 drops
#2 Clarence Sullivan (S, Junior): Declared Early » 178 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, sack, 4 interceptions, 9 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries
#26 Travis Jones (CB, Rs Senior): Pro Draft » 142 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, sack, 13 interceptions, 3 touchdowns, 16 pass deflections, fumble recovery
#25 Anthony Gunn (S, Senior): Pro Draft » 107 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, 9 pass deflections
#77 Brandon Smith (DT, Senior): Pro Draft » 84 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery
#73 Steve Bailey (T, Rs Senior): Pro Draft » 29 pancakes, 18 sacks allowed
#7 Marcellus Smith (DE, Senior): Pro Draft » 109 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 6 pass deflections, forced fumble, 6 carries, 4 yards, 7 receptions, 17 yards, 2 touchdowns
#57 Kyle Jones (C, Senior): Pro Draft » 29 pancakes, 9 sacks allowed
#54 Joel Espinosa (OLB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 66 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 7 sacks
#45 Jake Johnson (S, Rs Senior): Graduation » 1 tackle, tackle for loss, pass deflection
#27 Victor King (HB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 24 carries, 58 yards, 7 touchdowns, 1 reception, 4 yards
#53 Erik Wheeler (OLB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
#32 Jake Thompson (FB/OL, Senior): Graduation » 2 carries, 5 yards, 9 receptions, 47 yards, 11 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed
#81 Taylor Smith (TE, Rs Junior): Transfer (Clemson) » 34 receptions, 295 yards, touchdown, 5 drops, 6 pancakes
#10 James Scott (OLB, Rs Senior): Transfer (Georgia) » 16 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, pass deflection
#97 Cory Manson (OLB, Senior): Transfer (South Alabama) » 9 tackles
#14 Nick Weiss (WR, Senior): Transfer (Georgia) » 27 receptions, 368 yards, touchdown
#16 Andre Morgan (WR, Senior): Transfer (Nebraska) » 39 receptions, 421 yards, 3 touchdowns
#12 Shawn Williams (QB, Freshman): Transfer (Georgia State) » No stats
#74 Ed Foster (C, Freshman): Transfer (Texas) » No stats

Post by **Caesar** » 28 Dec 2023, 14:02

7 transfers? Finally using the transfer portal tool?

Post by **Soapy** » 29 Dec 2023, 08:01

Caesar wrote: ↑
28 Dec 2023, 14:02
7 transfers? Finally using the transfer portal tool?

nah just manually being more 'aggressive' with transferring players with high OVRs that are projected to be backups past their junior season

Post by **Soapy** » 29 Dec 2023, 08:23

USF quarterback Rashad Woodard will wear the No. 1 jersey
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

When healthy, Rashad Woodard was one of the best quarterbacks in college football last season, leading the Bulls to a playoff appearance in his first season as a starter. The senior out of Oklahoma chose to return for his final season at USF instead of heading to the NFL and will do so wearing the coveted No. 1 jersey which was announced via the program's social media page on Friday.

Woodard joins David Johnson, Michael Harrell, Jed White, Jay Jackson, and Jeff Jones as other quarterbacks to have been awarded the No. 1 jersey.

"It's an honor to be chosen to continue the legacy of the greats before me," Woodard said in a social media post, "While it's a number that was earned, it must continue to be earned with my play this season."

The senior quarterback is considered a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy as one of the more experienced starting quarterbacks in the Champions Division.

Post by **Soapy** » 29 Dec 2023, 10:27

2045 USF Recruiting Preview: Could down year in Florida smell trouble for Bulls?
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

USF landed the nation's top class last cycle with a record-breaking amount of blue chip (4-star or higher) prospects, including nine from the state of Florida. This year, in the 247 Sports initial top 100 rankings, there are just nine players from Florida ranked in the top 100 and just one player in the top 20 in tight end Neal Higgins.

Higgins is a top target for the Bulls but the Miami prospect has yet to visit the Bulls this summer and instead has taken visits to Alabama, Oklahoma and Ohio State. USF is pushing to get him on campus for their annual Green and Gold Bash recruiting event at the start of fall camp later this month. The Bulls have recruited the position at a high level in the last few cycles so while tight end coach Robert Holland has his work cut out for him in trying to land Higgins, he's the caliber of recruiter for the job.

While it might be a down year in the state of Florida as a whole, Tampa is loaded with talent led by five-star defensive back Marlon Pace and five-star running back Kevin Mooney. While neither of them has confirmed their attendance to the Green and Gold Bash, given that they are local, they can always pop in at the last minute to the event.

Another notable prospect that might be appearing at the Green and Gold Bash is 12th ranked quarterback Malcolm 'Tre' Francois III, the grandson of USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. and the son of Oregon State head coach Malcolm Francois Jr.

Francois III is playing out his senior season in Oregon after having spent his junior year at Tampa Jesuit when his father was an assistant with the Bulls before accepting the head coaching job at Oregon State. It'll be Tre's third school in as many years which has hampered his ranking as he wasn't the full-time starter at Jesuit until their playoff run which ended with a loss in the state semi-finals.

The five-foot-ten quarterback is an electric athlete with a live arm that fits USF's offense but the leading candidate to land his commitment is Oregon State, with obvious reasons, followed by Stanford and Oregon who he has already visited this summer. So far, Francois III hasn't been real public with his recruitment which is expected to continue with the delicate situation of having his father and grandfather at opposite schools vying for his commitment.

Other prospects likely to attend include 4-star defensive tackle Marcus Jones, 4-star tight end Mike Clark and 4-star linebacker Marlon Gunn.

2045 USF Recruiting Class

2045 USF Recruiting Board
TE Neal Higgins [TE #1]: 6'6", 232lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Georgia, USF
HB Kevin Mooney [HB #4]: 5'11", 188lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | Oregon, Florida State, Stanford, Michigan State, USF
DB Marlon Pace [ATH #8]: 5'11", 191lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, USF
T Gabe Carter [T #3]: 6'6", 330lbs | Chicopee, MA [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Stanford, Virginia Tech, BYU, Georgia Tech
LB Marlon Gunn [OLB #6]: 6'1", 239lbs | Greenacres City, FL [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Southern Miss, Florida, Alabama
WR Chris Thompson [WR #24]: 6'3", 177lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Georgia, Ohio State, Ole Miss
DT Marcus Jones [DT #9]: 6'3", 257lbs | Eustis, FL | 4-star | USF, Alabama, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Virginia
DE Donte Walden [DE #17]: 6'4", 240lbs | Robinson, PA | 4-star | USF, Fresno State, BYU, Indiana, Army
TE Mike Clark [TE #13]: 6'5", 255lbs | Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | USF, Miami, Florida State, Georgia
LB Cedric Cook [OLB #13]: 6'0", 201lbs | Saginaw, TX | 4-star | USF, Fresno State, BYU, Texas, Oklahoma
QB Malcolm Francois III [QB #12]: 5'10", 180lbs | Corvallis, OR | 4-star | Oregon, Stanford, Oregon State, USF
CB Adam Anderson [CB #17]: 5'11", 180lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | USF, Georgia, Virginia Tech
LB Jermaine Copeland [ILB #14]: 6'4", 228lbs | Boca Raton, FL | 3-star | Southern Miss, Florida, South Alabama, USF
G Justin Jansen [G #35]: 6'4", 268lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | USF, Florida, Clemson, Bowling Green, Virginia Tech
FB John Arnold [FB #1]: 5'9", 238lbs | Orlando, FL | 3-star | Navy, Rutgers, Georgia, Southern Miss, USF
T Alvin Powell [T #27]: 6'8", 280lbs | Leesburg, FL [juco] | 3-star | USF, Florida State, Miami, Alabama

Post by **Soapy** » 29 Dec 2023, 10:47

Top 30 USF Players of Francois Era: No. 1 - Chris Wallace (2034-2037)
Charlie Flowers -- gousfbulls.com

Recruiting Profile: 3rd ranked TE in 2034 | 6'1", 218lbs | Plantation, FL | 5-star
Career Stats: 393 receptions, 5077 yards, 70 touchdowns, 59 pancakes
Record vs. UCF: 4-0
-- W 28-17: 7 receptions, 80 yards
-- W 70-27: 8 receptions, 119 yards, 2 touchdowns
-- W 54-19: 13 receptions, 147 yards, 6 touchdowns (school record)
-- W 70-24: 15 receptions, 262 yards, 2 touchdowns
Conference Championships: 2 (SEC, Champions Division)
Bowl Record: 3-0 (Rose Bowl, CFP Final, Fiesta Bowl)
National Championships: 1

Accolades: 2034 1st team All-SEC, 2034 2nd team All-American, 2034 Freshman All-American, 2035 1st team All-American, 2035 1st team All-SEC, 2035 Mackey Award Winner (best tight end), 2036 1st team All-American, 2036 1st team All-SEC, 2036 Mackey Award Winner (best tight end), 2037 1st team All-American, 2037 1st team All-Champions, 2037 Mackey Award Winner (best tight end),

Wallace hit the ground running with a 1,000-yard season as a true freshman, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards from the tight end position as part of that electric offense with Jeff Jones and Bobby Jackson that would go on to win the national championship, beating USC and Texas in the college football playoffs.

Even with the offense taking a dip in his second season, Wallace still managed to go over 1,000 yards once more in leading the team in receptions and receiving yards.

With a new quarterback in Joey Spence at the helm, even injuries couldn't slow down Wallace from catching 22 touchdown passes and eclipsing the 100-reception mark for the first time ever in program history as a tight end on his way to winning his second Mackey Award.

Wallace opted to return for his senior season as he looked to win another national championship which would lead to one of the greatest seasons in college football history and cement Wallace as the best USF player of all time and the best tight end in college football history.

Wallace would post career best numbers across the board with a school record 129 receptions, 1496 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns, which was also a NCAA record. Wallace finished his career as college football's all-time leader in receptions (393), yards (5077) and touchdowns (70) and the only three-time recipient of the Mackey Award.

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