Strength in Unity.

[Soapy]

Recruiting Class in Review: Plenty of star talent in the Bulls 2021 recruiting class
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

If the 2019 recruiting class is largely viewed as the foundation of the eventual 2021 USF national championship team and the 2020 class helped take them to the next level, it's fair to say that the 2022 class was the icing on top of the cake. It featured three-five stars and for the first time in program history, the top two players in the nation. When it was all said and done, how does this class grade out? The grading criteria is as follows: 1 star for non-contributor, 2 star for depth player, 3 star for contributor, 4 star for impact starter, 5 star for a star player.

2021 USF Bulls Recruiting Class
HB/WR William Stone [ATH #1]: 6'0", 206lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 350 Bench Press Max, 315 Squat Max
Career Stats » 233 receptions, 3196 yards, 28 touchdowns.
Analysis » If not the best receiver in school history, he's certainly in the top three. He owns all but one receiving record and without a sophomore season that saw him deal with shaky quarterback play, his numbers might have even been more impressive.
Grade » 5-star

WR Andrew Vincent [WR #1]: 6'0", 178lbs | Bradenton, FL | 5-star | 4.36 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 220 Squat Max
Career Stats » 161 receptions, 1975 yards, 16 touchdowns.
Analysis » Vincent was always second fiddle to Stone, coming out of high school and also in college. His breakout junior season helped him avoid the bust label but doesn't get him that fifth star.
Grade » 4-star

CB Jason Garcia [CB #1]: 6'1", 189lbs | South Augusta, GA | 5-star | 4.26 40-yd dash, 310 Bench Press Max, 265 Squat Max
Career Stats » 128 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 7 interceptions, touchdown, 14 pass deflections.
Analysis » A day-one starter at nickel, Garcia started every game he was at USF and would finish the last two seasons as their unquestioned top corner and lived up to the hype. He wasn't as much of a playmaker in the return game as one would wish but that was because he was too valuable as a corner.
Grade » 5-star

DT Jeremy Daniels [DT #2]: 6'2", 287lbs | Flat Rock, MI | 4-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 640 Squat Max
Career Stats » 59 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 20 sacks.
Analysis » Daniels' junior season is one of the better ones USF has had from an interior defensive lineman. He could get lost in the shuffle at times and disappear but as a three-year contributor, Daniels was as good as advertised.
Grade » 4-star

QB Mike McFarland [QB #1]: 6'4", 197lbs | El Toro, CA | 4-star | 4.68 40-yd dash, 255 Bench Press Max, 255 Squat Max
Career Stats » 355 of 485, 4166 yards, 29 touchdowns, 17 interceptions.
Analysis » His legacy is still being written and by the end of it, it might be slightly different. But for now, he's a player that ran hot and cold. He had a disastrous redshirt freshman season, got benched for most of last season but has excelled this season since taking over the starting spot. He might end earning that fourth star but for now, the inconsistent play gets him just three.
Grade » 3-star

C Joel Dixon [C #3]: 6'1", 277lbs | Zachary, LA | 4-star | 4.98 40-yd dash, 375 Bench Press Max, 595 Squat Max
Career Stats » 10 pancakes, 2 sacks given up.
Analysis » After starting in 2022, Dixon lost his starting spot in 2023 as part of an offensive line shake up. He had bright spots in 2022 but has been average in 2024 as the team has struggled to protect the quarterback or run the football consistently without Herculean efforts from its running backs.
Grade » 3-star

WR Ben Bright [WR #39]: 6'6", 223lbs | Portage Lakes, OH | 4-star | 4.44 40 yd-dash, 235 Bench Press Max, 230 Squat Max
Career Stats » 23 receptions, 226 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Analysis » Bright is now at Oklahoma and might be able to turn his career around but after a strong freshman season, he did not play much as a sophomore before leaving USF.
Grade » 2-star

OL Brad Jones [ATH #32]: 6'4", 299lbs | Bristow, OK | 4-star | 5.10 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press Max, 555 Squat Max
Career Stats » 26 pancakes, 13 sacks allowed.
Analysis » Recruited initially as a defensive tackle, Jones would end up on the offensive line and end up being a four-year contributor. He never took that next step into elite but was a solid player all four years.
Grade » 3-star

DT Daniel Elliott [DT #17]: 6'2", 277lbs | Fayette, AL | 4-star | 4.98 40-yd dash, 450 Bench Press Max, 535 Squat Max
Career Stats » 39 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 15 sacks.
Analysis » The talent has always been evident with Elliott who splashed onto the scene as a sophomore with three sacks in limited play. He was great in 2023, doubling those numbers despite being a backup. He's been the Bulls best defensive linemen as a senior this year with Jeremy Daniels gone and making the most of it.
Grade » 4-star

S Edgar Thompson [S #5]: 6'0", 202lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 330 Bench Press Max, 390 Squat Max
Career Stats » 264 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 interceptions.
Analysis » An All-American and all-conference level player year in and year out, Thompson was a home-run risky take by the Bulls as many questioned if he had the athleticism to play in the Big 12 and keep up with the spread offenses. Thompson might be an underrated all-time Bull.
Grade » 5-star

DT Josh Brown [DT #52]: 6'5", 283lbs | Dunmore, PA | 3-star | 5.22 40-yd dash, 450 Bench Press Max, 560 Squat Max
Career Stats » 12 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 5 sacks.
Analysis » Similar to Elliott, Brown has taken advantages of Daniels' exodus to make more and more plays with more playing time. The PA product has four sacks as a backup and when Elliott leaves, Brown should be one of the Bulls top options in the interior
Grade » 2-star

DE Dale Bolen [DE #57]: 6'3", 248lbs | Wauwatosa, WI [IMG] | 3-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 345 Bench Press Max, 545 Squat Max
Career Stats » 25 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6 sacks.
Analysis » The poster child for patience, Bolen didn't see the field until this season and has been making up for it. He's tied for most sacks with six and has outperformed transfer Mark Robinson who came in with a top of hype.
Grade » 2-star

CB Dan Ross [CB #44]: 6'0", 172lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 205 Bench Press Max, 220 Squat Max
Career Stats » 29 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.
Analysis » While Brown and Elliott have made the most of their newfound opportunities, Ross hasn't. He's gotten beat a few times this season in crucial moments and is far from a fan favorite right now. A talented individual, Ross just never put it together and the few times he's been on the field at corner, he hasn't been productive.
Grade » 2-star

CB Ronnie Gay [CB #48]: 6'3", 176lbs | Round Rock, TX | 3-star | 4.36 40-yd dash, 250 Bench Press Max, 215 Squat Max
Career Stats » 82 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions.
Analysis » The Bulls love long and athletic corners as they believe that their staff can figure out the rest from there. Gay is a prime example of that, jumping onto the field as a sophomore when he probably wasn't ready and never coming off.
Grade » 3-star

T Charles Joseph [T #47]: 6'7", 302lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 5.00 40-yd dash, 380 Bench Press Max, 630 Squat Max
Career Stats » 1 pancake, 10 sacks allowed.
Analysis » It took Joseph a while to get on the field, as it typically the case for offensive linemen, and while he's been good in the running game, his pass protection leaves a lot to be desired. A lot. He should improve as a senior but he's been sort of a letdown so far.
Grade » 2-star.

T Jimmie Hurd [T #96]: 6'8", 295lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | 4.94 40-yd dash, 410 Bench Press Max, 640 Squat Max
Career Stats » 26 pancakes, 16 sacks allowed.
Analysis » Hurd surprised a lot of people last season by being one of the team's better offensive linemen. He's taken a step back this season but nevertheless, he's been a good developmental player for them and one that should be even better next year.
Grade » 3-star

Superlative Awards
Most Important Signing: Landing the nation's top player was a huge deal, especially since he was a Miami product that a lot of the nation's top talent invested a lot of time and effort into landing.

Most Productive Signing: Ditto. Garcia and Thompson are close in terms of talent but production wise, Stone blows them out of the water with his junior season.

Biggest Bust of the Class: While some of the other four stars might have not been great, none were non-factors and that's what Benji Bright was, eventually transferring.

Most Untapped Potential: You can't help but wonder what Andrew Vincent career looks like with three years in the offense that the Bulls ran his junior season. He excelled in the slot that year and might have been their most reliable receiver.

Biggest Steal of the Class: Whenever a three-star recruit turns into a three-year starter and not one you're actively trying to replace, you got a good one and that's what Ronnie Gay was.

Biggest Lost of the Class: Not a single player that USF offered in this cycle ended up elsewhere, an insane stat to think about when you consider that they landed six players that were top five in their respective positions.

[Soapy]

Class looks legit!
How come you're still chasing that 3rd TE?
If you lose that DL to Akron...

Thanks and a few things.

1. One of the house rules is that I cannot drop a player from the board unless they lock me out or commit elsewhere and given that I can only recruit x amount of players each cycle, I'm still recruiting him.

2. We only have two tight ends on the roster for next season so even with the other two tight ends, we're now up to four. Vincent Everett is already a 78 and could be a draft option as a junior so thinking ahead in case he declares early. I've noticed that tight ends develop a bit slower than other positions so don't want to be too dependent on starting 1st or 2nd year players.

3. Our only listed FB, Ryne Fox, is sort of a bust. He has okay blocking ratings and not athletic enough to play tight end and I love using that H-back in Auburn's offense so one of the tight ends is probably going to more of a fullback/H-back.

[Soapy]

Class is starting to come together, that was pretty significant get for you.

yessir, I'm not sure how the rest of the class will turn out as Grigsby and Purcell seem to be leaning towards other schools.

[Soapy]

Week 12 Preview: Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Record: 4-5, 2-3 Big XII
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher (21-26 at TCU, 4th year, 86-67)

Team Leaders
Passing: Luis Clark (51.1% completion, 2046 yards, 19 TD, 12 INT, 118.8 QB rating)
Rushing: Ryan Harris (686 yards, 6.2 ypc, 5 TD)
Receiving: John Dahl (48 receptions, 667 yards, 9 TD)
Defense: Spencer Patterson (38 tackles, 4 PBU, 6 INT)

Team Rankings
Total Offense: 101st
Total Defense: 89th
Points Per Game: 64th
Turnover Differential: 65th

Team Schedule
vs. FCS W: W 26-21
at Rice: L 34-28
at SMU: L 38-14
at West Virginia: L 45-31
vs. Iowa State: W 41-17
vs. Baylor: W 34-28
at #8 Texas: L 42-14
vs. New Mexico State: W 42-30
at Kansas: L 42-30

Injuries
C Dan Montgomery, Rs Senior | 6'3", 275lbs | 88 ovr, 86 str, 84 pbk, 91 rbk
DT Tanard Pittman, Rs Sophomore | 6'4", 273lbs | 79 ovr, 84 acc, 75 str, 83 tkl, 87 pmv, 81 fmv, 79 bsh

Texas Christian Horned Frogs Projected Starters
QB Luis Clark, Rs Junior | 6'5", 197lbs | 81 ovr, 76 spd, 73 acc, 86 thp, 84 tha
HB Ryan Harris, Junior | 6'0", 222lbs | 79 ovr, 88 spd, 89 acc, 80 btk, 72 car, 82 elu
WR Jonathan McCray, Senior | 5'11", 210ls | 83 ovr, 84 spd, 88 acc, 85 cth
WR Jim Lumpkin, Rs Sophomore | 6'3", 188lbs | 73 ovr, 85 spd, 85 acc, 76 cth
WR Shelton Morales, Rs Freshman | 6'2", 214lbs | 71 ovr, 85 spd, 79 acc, 77 cth
TE John Dahl, Junior | 6'6", 270lbs | 86 ovr, 80 spd, 79 acc, 73 cth, 82 rbk
LT Marcus Brooks, Rs Junior | 6'7", 335lbs | 80 ovr, 84 str, 83 pbk, 82 rbk
LG Logan Ernest, Rs Freshman | 6'2", 271lbs | 81 ovr, 88 str, 84 pbk, 84 rbk
C Brandon Leonard, Junior | 6'1", 274lbs | 86 ovr, 78 str, 87 pbk, 86 rbk
RG Kevin Collier, Senior | 6'3", 287lbs | 81 ovr, 79 str, 92 pbk, 79 rbk
RT Stephen Clark, Junior | 6'6", 284lbs | 85 ovr, 90 str, 82 pbk, 89 rbk
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DE Tony Avery, Rs Junior | 6'3", 283lbs | 77 ovr, 63 spd, 76 acc, 73 str, 86 tkl, 84 pmv, 85 fmv, 78 bsh
DE Brian Holly, Rs Sophomore | 6'4", 303lbs | 76 ovr, 76 spd, 69 acc, 79 str, 75 tkl, 80 pmv, 76 fmv, 85 bsh
DT Nick Patrick, Junior | 6'6", 324lbs | 87 ovr, 85 acc, 87 str, 90 tkl, 86 pmv, 79 fmv, 83 bsh
DT Erik Pleasant, Rs Sophomore | 6'5", 287lbs | 77 ovr, 74 acc, 76 str, 74 tkl, 83 pmv, 79 fmv, 80 bsh
LB Blake Weaver, Rs Senior | 6'1", 241lbs | 79 ovr, 78 spd, 92 acc, 77 tkl, 82 bsh, 76 pur, 82 zcv
LB Reggie Parsons, Freshman | 6'0", 243lbs | 78 ovr, 82 spd, 88 acc, 79 tkl, 88 bsh, 81 pur, 75 zcv
LB Ronald Smith, Sophomore | 6'0", 231lbs | 75 ovr, 78 spd, 91 acc, 82 tkl, 77 bsh, 75 pur, 72 zcv
CB Spencer Peterson, Rs Senior | 6'0", 191lbs | 90 ovr, 92 spd, 86 acc, 99 mcv, 99 zcv, 85 press
CB David Green, Senior | 6'0", 186lbs | 83 ovr, 91 spd, 90 acc, 91 mcv, 87 zcv, 94 press
S Dave Raymond, Freshman | 6'0", 205lbs | 72 ovr, 91 spd, 92 acc, 70 tkl, 70 tkl, 72 zcv
S Ron Johnson, Rs Junior | 5'11", 197lbs | 78 ovr, 82 spd, 89 acc, 83 tkl, 76 zcv

[djp73]

Class looks legit!
How come you're still chasing that 3rd TE?
If you lose that DL to Akron...

Thanks and a few things.

1. One of the house rules is that I cannot drop a player from the board unless they lock me out or commit elsewhere and given that I can only recruit x amount of players each cycle, I'm still recruiting him.

2. We only have two tight ends on the roster for next season so even with the other two tight ends, we're now up to four. Vincent Everett is already a 78 and could be a draft option as a junior so thinking ahead in case he declares early. I've noticed that tight ends develop a bit slower than other positions so don't want to be too dependent on starting 1st or 2nd year players.

3. Our only listed FB, Ryne Fox, is sort of a bust. He has okay blocking ratings and not athletic enough to play tight end and I love using that H-back in Auburn's offense so one of the tight ends is probably going to more of a fullback/H-back.

Ah yes. I always forget to peep the house rules this far in. That shorter TE looks like a good FB/Hback.

[Soapy]

-----------------------------------------------
TCU (4-6, 2-4) | 10 | 9 | 7 | 0 || 26
#3 USF (10-0, 6-0) | 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 || 44
-----------------------------------------------

Bulls Keep Home Winning Streak Alive but Lose McFarland, Hughes
USF won the battle but they might have just lost the war.

In the team's 44-26 win over TCU on Senior Night this past Saturday, USF lost both star quarterback Mike McFarland and linebacker Travis Hughes.

The injuries happened in back to back drives as Hughes was injured in the Horned Frogs touchdown drive with six minutes left in the quarter. McFarland then led USF down to the field, only to be hit on an incompletion to Malcolm Francois Jr. with 2:40 left in the third.

McFarland's injury appeared related to his back while Hughes was a chest area injury. USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. did not comment on either player's injury during the post-game press conference.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[TCU] D. Whitaker, 42 Yd FG (6:00)
[USF] D. Fuller, 28 Yd pass from M. McFarland (4:13)
[TCU] R. Harris, 2 Yd run (2:33)
[USF] D. Fuller, 6 Yd run (0:32)

Quarter 2
[TCU] D. Whitaker, 34 Yd FG (7:03)
[USF] J. Barbour, 63 Yd pass from M. McFarland (6:00)
[TCU] D. Whitaker, 34 Yd FG (3:39)
[USF] K. Justice, 21 Yd FG (0:41)
[TCU] D. Whitaker, 25 Yd FG (0:01)

Quarter 3
[USF] J. Bass, 35 Yd pass from M. McFarland (8:12)
[TCU] R. Townsend, 2 Yd run (6:03)
[USF] K. Justice, 28 Yd FG (2:40)

Quarter 4
[USF] M. Francois Jr, 62 Yd pass from J. Pittman (8:54)
[USF] K. Justice, 18 Yd FG (2:10)
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#3 South Florida Bulls
QB Mike McFarland: 20 of 25, 318 yards, 3 touchdowns (left game with injury).
QB James Pittman: 9 of 12, 145 yards, touchdown, 2 interceptions.
HB David Fuller: 25 carries, 154 yards, touchdown.
WR Joel Bass: 6 receptions, 110 yards, touchdown.
WR Jason Barbour: 5 receptions, 118 yards, touchdown.
WR Malcolm Francois Jr: 5 receptions, 98 yards, touchdown.
LB Dallas Gross: 11 tackles, 5 tackles for loss.
LB Travis Hughes: 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss.

Texas Christian Horned Frogs
QB Luis Clark: 34 of 43, 330 yards.
HB Ryan Harris: 21 carries, 91 yards, touchdown.
WR Shelton Morales: 7 receptions, 88 yards.
WR Jonathan McCray: 5 receptions, 77 yards.
TE Craig Coleman: 5 receptions, 45 yards.
WR Jim Lumpkin: 4 receptions, 57 yards.
S Ron Johnson: 8 tackles, interception.
S Dane Raymond: 7 tackles, tackle for loss, interception.

[Soapy]

Week 12 Big XII Results
UCF 44 - TCU 26 :: UCF 44 - TTU 31 :: OKST 42 - ISU 32 :: KSU 56 - KU 20
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Week 13 Big XII Schedule
#3 USF (10-0, 6-0) at Texas Tech (4-6, 2-4)
UCF (6-4, 3-3) at TCU (4-6, 2-4)
Kansas (5-5, 3-3) at Iowa State (1-9, 0-6)
West Virginia (4-6, 3-3) at Baylor (2-8, 1-5)
Oklahoma State (4-6, 3-3) at Kansas State (6-4, 3-3)
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Week 13 Notable Games
#10 Georgia Tech (8-2, 6-2) at #11 Virginia Tech (8-2, 5-2)
#22 Michigan State (6-4, 4-3) at #9 Penn State (8-2, 5-2)
#17 Arizona (7-3, 6-1) at #15 Colorado (6-4, 3-4)
#23 BYU (8-2, 0-0) at #25 Oklahoma (7-3, 5-2)
#18 Miami (7-3, 5-2) at #13 North Carolina (6-4, 4-3)
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Week 12 Top Stories
1. Cincinnati upends Navy knocking them off the chart of the unbeaten.
2. Virginia Tech notches a conference win against Miami behind the arm of Sullivan.
3. #10 Ducks are stunned 49-30 by an overachieving Washington State team.
4. Minnesota stays unbeaten with a 45-20 win vs. conference rival Maryland.
5. Ohio State claims bragging right after a 38-31 win vs. Penn State.
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BCS Rankings
1. Ohio State, 10-0
2. Minnesota, 10-0
3. USF, 10-0
4. Stanford, 10-1
5. UCLA, 8-2
6. Texas, 9-1
7. Michigan, 8-2
8. Auburn, 9-1
9. Penn State, 8-2
10. Georgia Tech, 8-2
11. Virginia Tech, 8-2
12. North Carolina, 6-4
13. Navy, 8-1
14. Colorado, 6-4
15. Alabama, 7-3
16. Missouri, 7-3
17. Miami, 7-3
18. Arizona, 7-3
19. Wisconsin, 6-4
20. Ole Miss, 7-3
21. UL Monroe, 7-2
22. Michigan State, 6-4
23. Georgia, 6-4
24. BYU, 8-2
25. USC, 6-4
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Big XII Conference Standings
North
1. Oklahoma, 7-3, 5-2
2. Kansas State, 6-4, 3-3
3. Kansas, 5-5, 3-3
4. West Virginia, 4-6, 3-3
5. Oklahoma State, 4-6, 3-3
6. Iowa State, 1-9, 0-6
South
1. USF, 10-0, 6-0
2. Texas, 9-1, 6-1
3. UCF, 6-4, 3-3
4. Texas Tech, 4-6, 2-4
5. TCU, 4-6, 2-4
6. Baylor, 2-8, 1-5
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Players of the Week
QB Tyrone Washington (Vanderbilt): 27 of 39, 353 yards, 24 carries, 127 yards, 8 total touchdowns.
LB Terrance Barrett (Tulsa): 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries.
------------------------
QB Nathan Woods (Oklahoma): 17 of 25, 224 yards, 31 carries, 181 yards, 5 total touchdowns.
LB Dominic Holmes (UCF): 11 tackles, 2 interceptions.
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Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#1 Jay Jacobs [ATH #1]: 6'3", 185lbs | Norwalk, CA | University of South Florida
#2 Jacob Jackson [ATH #2]: 6'1", 228lbs | Lima, OH | University of Southern California
#3 Jack Jenkins [HB #1]: 6'1", 205lbs | Newington, CT | Penn State
#5 George Ostrander [ATH #3]: 6'1", 213lbs | Almonte Spring, FL | University of Minnesota
#6 Jake Davison [WR #2]: 6'3", 215lbs | River Road, NC | Virginia Tech
#7 Paul Coleman [HB #2]: 6'2", 206lbs | Lyman, WY | University of Southern California
#8 Nik McClelland [DT #1]: 6'1", 295lbs | La Porte, IN | Ohio State University
#10 Lionel Jude [ATH #5]: 6'0", 211lbs | North Ridgeville, OH | Notre Dame
#11 Chris Heinz [TE #1]: 6'3", 220lbs | Euless, TX | University of Wisconsin
#12 J.J. Crowell [ATH #6]: 5'11", 201lbs | Valdese, NC | University of North Carolina
#13 Josh Curry [WR #3]: 6'0", 194lbs | Port Orange, FL | University of Minnesota
#14 Victor Flowers [DT #2]: 6'0", 295lbs | Milwaukee, WI | Vanderbilt University
#15 Kevin Bergstrand [HB #3]: 6'0", 196lbs | River Ridge, LA | University of Nebraska
#17 Vince Carroll [ATH #7]: 6'2", 188lbs | McGehee, AR | University of Michigan
#18 John Little [TE #2]: 6'5", 273lbs | Borger, TX | Texas Christian University
#19 Jimmy Burns [WR #4]: 6'2", 205lbs | Athens, AL | University of Miami
#20 Cornelis Parker [DT #3]: 6'1", 275lbs | Mineral Wells, TX | Texas Christian University
#22 Sam Carrington [ILB #1]: 6'0", 223lbs | San Ramon, CA | Clemson University
#24 Robbie Lowe [QB #1]: 6'0", 180lbs | Ithaca, NY | Syracuse University
#26 Darrell Jones [TE #3]: 6'6", 247lbs | Weddington, NC | Notre Dame
#27 Eric Miller [WR #5]: 6'0", 199lbs | Dillon, SC | University of Pittsburgh
#28 Hayden Stovall [HB #6]: 6'2", 192lbs | Bath, ME | University of Colorado
#29 Kurt Jackson [ATH #9]: 6'3", 219lbs | Westfield, NJ | University of Texas

[Soapy]

4-star center Purcell makes surprise commitment to UAB
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

Recruiting in south Florida is always exciting and this cycle is no different. The top ranked offensive linemen in the region and the #1 center according to 247 Sports announced a commitment not to OL factory Wisconsin, not to USF, not even to hometown Miami but to the University of Alabama....Birmingham.

Matt Purcell, a four-star center out of Miami, is headed to UAB, giving the Blazers one of their highest ranked recruits of all time. It was long viewed as a USF - Wisconsin battle with Miami being the distant third team only for UAB to out of nowhere land him.

Purcell stated wanting to build his own legacy as one of the reasons he chose the Blazers. Wisconsin was hoping that he'd be able to boost their #3 ranked recruiting class while USF is likely now scrambling to find a second offensive linemen to add to their class.

They offered local center Jason Harrington who has picked up offers from Clemson, Oklahoma State and NIU in the last month. Texas has also been in contact with him but an official offer has yet to come, according to Harrington. A rising senior, USF might end up with more egg on their face if Harrington was in their backyard this whole time and they were slow to pull the trigger.

2025 USF Recruiting Class
WR/DB Jay Jacobs [ATH #1]: 6'3", 185lbs | Norwalk, CA | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 340 Bench Press, 240 Squat | USF, Washington, UNLV
QB Jed White [QB #6]: 6'5", 239lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.52 40-yd dash, 250 Bench Press, 345 Squat | USF, Georgia Tech, Florida State
TE Tariq Smith [TE #9]: 6'8", 267lbs | North Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press, 270 Squat | USF, Florida, Auburn, Miami, Florida State
TE Nick Thompson [TE #12]: 6'1", 221lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | 4.86 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press, 255 Squat | USF, UCF
DE Mike Atkins [DE #22]: 6'5", 237lbs | Delray Beach, FL | 4-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press, 620 Squat | USF, Texas
CB Pierre Francois [CB #27]: 5'9", 187lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 380 Bench Press, 255 Squat | USF, Ole Miss
DT E.J. Jones [DT #62]: 6'3", 301lbs | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 3-star | 5.00 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press, 520 Squat | USF, Miami, South Carolina
CB Jonathan Mirvil [CB #35]: 6'2", 166lbs | Orlando, FL | 3-star | 4.42 40-yd dash, 210 Bench Press, 260 Squat | USF, UCF
S Ralph Gray [S #28]: 6'0", 199lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 345 Bench Press, 310 Squat | USF, UCF
T Bryan McDonald [T #71]: 6'6", 313lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.92 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press, 595 Squat | USF, South Carolina, Florida State

2025 USF Recruiting Board
TE Blake Grigsby [TE #7]: 6'6", 245lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Florida, USF, Florida State
DE Jim Horner [DE #11]: 6'1", 240lbs | Druid Hills, GA | 4-star | USF, Akron
OLB Cory Harrison [OLB #32]: 6'3", 241lbs | East Bradenton, FL | 3-star | USF, UCF
C Jason Harrington [C #32]: 6'1", 304lbs | Tampa, FL | Clemson, Texas, Oklahoma State, NIU, USF
G Chris Simpson [G #59]: 6'3", 308lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | FIU, USF, Marshall, UCF
OLB Kenny Frye [OLB #38]: 6'3", 209lbs | Whitehall, PA (IMG) | 3-star | USF, USC
HB Ronnie Smith [HB #64]: 6'3", 216lbs | La Marque, TX | 3-star | USF, Navy, Syracuse
WR Bradley Wilkinson [WR #114]: 6'0", 185lbs | Pembroke Pines, FL | 3-star | USF, FIU, SMU
--------------------
HB George Ostrander [ATH #3]: 6'1", 213lbs | Almonte Springs, FL | 5-star | Committed to Minnesota
C Matt Purcell [C #1]: 6'5", 310lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Committed to UAB
HB Stan Dean [HB #10]: 6'1", 202lbs | Wharton, TX | 4-star | Committed to South Carolina
WR Eric Sellers [WR #13]: 6'1", 190lbs | University West, FL | 4-star | Florida, UCF
FB Matt Kennedy [FB #9]: 6'2", 245lbs | Port St. Lucie, FL| 3-star | Duke, Virginia

[Soapy]

USF LB Hughes to miss rest of the season while QB McFarland long term status remains unknown
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. was very candid when it came to the prognosis of linebacker Travis Hughes' injury that he suffered in Thursday's game against Texas Christian.

"He's done for the year," Francois said to the media, "He was having a really good year, kept improving his game as far as his physicality so you hate to see it for the kid but yeah, he's done. We're excited to have him back next season, let him heal up, you know, you pick up nicks and bruises when you play as much as he did and the style that he does so this is forcing him to take a moment to heal up and you don't ever want to see that but it'll do his body good."

Hughes, who won several awards as a true freshman, had 93 tackles on the season along with sixteen tackles for loss. His replacement will likely be redshirt sophomore Calvin Franz who is the only similar athlete, speed wise, the Bulls have at linebacker. Redshirt sophomore Alex Miller is another option although neither has played much this season.

Francois was more coy when it came to the long term status of quarterback Mike McFarland who hurt his back against TCU.

"We'll see where we end up with it," said Francois, "I'm not really keen on discussing the matter a whole bunch and I understand it's your job but it's also my job to know and yours to find and it ain't coming from me any time soon."

McFarland hasn't been at practice all week and covert attempts or not, it seems pretty clear that McFarland likely won't travel with the team to Lubbock next week and his status in the regular season finale against UCF might also be up in the air.

[djp73]

couple big injuries there