USF picks up three more commitments as five-star safety Johnson set to visit next week
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
USF received three more commitments over the weekend in the form of three-star ATH Fred Hooper (Naples, FL), three-star offensive guard Quinton Payne (Tampa, FL) and two-star offensive guard Brian Brown (Bonita Springs, FL).
After signing seven offensive linemen in the last class, the additions of Payne and Brown likely wrap up USF's recruiting in that department. Brown is a an undersized interior lineman at six-feet and 309 pounds that could potentially move to center while Payne's frame at six-foot-six and 330 pounds makes him a potential guard or tackle. The flexibility of both players allow the coaching staff to feel confident that they do not need to add to the position.
Speaking of flexibility, Hooper might be the most intriguing prospect of this cycle. Hooper runs a 4.56 forty and plays running back for his high school team at six-foot-one and 264 pounds, the only position he's ever played. Hooper has quite literally outgrown the position and projects to be more of a linebacker at the college level although according to Hooper, he's been promised a "look at running back".
With two senior starters at inside linebacker, linebacker is a big need for the Bulls and it's been shown. Along with Hooper, USF has crystal balls for three-star OLBs Shelton Richardson (Tampa, FL) and Derek O'Neill (Miami, FL) and two-star OLBs Rob Matthews (Zephyrhills, FL) and JUCO prospect Matt Thompson. Throw in their late push for four-star inside linebacker Mark Bennett out of Hallandale and it might be a loaded class at linebacker.
USF is also trying to make some movement on five-star safety Dan Johnson out of Alpharetta, Georgia as they continue to recruit the Peach State. Johnson is not your standard five-star safety as both of his parents are Air Force veterans and both his siblings attend Troy University. Those two aforementioned schools make up his top five along with Clemson, USF and Florida State.
It's going to be tough to dethrone Air Force but they were able to get him to take a visit to Tampa next weekend. On campus will also be four-star running Brian Reynolds and LBs Matthews and Thompson.
In other news, the team offered three-star QB Brandon Tidwell out of Douglasville, Georgia. The team was previously recruiting three-star QB Dustin Brown but at some point, contact stopped once the team wasn't ready to accept a commitment from him and he instead committed to UMass.
