Strength in Unity.

Post by **Soapy** » 04 Jun 2021, 22:45

Bulls lose top pass catchers in Everett, Barbour, Downs to draft as Francois Jr. joins coaching staff
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Heisman winner Jed White will have to quickly get reacquainted with the other receivers on the team.

USF will lose its top four pass catchers this past season with recruiting classmates and juniors Vincent Everett, Jason Barbour and Darius Downs all declaring for the draft. This comes in addition to Malcolm Francois Jr. also being a graduating redshirt senior.

It doesn't help that receivers Shane Peterson, Steve Townsend and David Ryan are also graduating. While they had various impact on the field and were mainly depth players during their four-year tenures, the Bulls could have used their services next season as experienced college receivers in what promises to be a talented but young crop of receivers.

Francois Jr. will join the coaching staff as a coaching assistant, a role he unofficially held during his injured year.

2025 Players Leaving » Career Stats
#14 Vincent Everett (TE, Junior): Declared Early » 156 receptions, 2043 yards, 21 touchdowns, 45 pancakes, sacks allowed.
#4 Jason Barbour (WR, Junior): Declared Early » 204 receptions, 2977 yards, 21 touchdowns.
#1 Darius Downs (WR, Junior): Declared Early » 178 receptions, 2752 yards, 23 touchdowns.
#6 David Fuller (HB, Senior): Pro Draft » 427 carries, 2574 yards, 15 touchdowns, 51 receptions, 362 yards, touchdown.
#3 Derrick Green (HB, Senior): Pro Draft » 341 carries, 2008 yards, 13 touchdowns, 46 receptions, 341 yards, 2 touchdowns.
#9 Sid Robinson (CB, Senior): Pro Draft » 190 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 12 interceptions, 16 pass breakups.
#33 Jacob Dickson (FB, Rs Senior): Pro Draft » 9 carries, 29 yards, 4 touchdowns, 64 receptions, 501 yards, 2 touchdowns, 30 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed.
#90 Travis Scott (DT, Rs Senior): Pro Draft » 48 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles.
#86 Marcus McClelland (P, Senior): Graduation » 162 punts, 6445 yards, 34.7 Yd Net, 49 downed inside the 20.
#15 Alex Miller (LB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, interception, touchdown, pass breakup.
#71 Tanner Patton (T, Rs Senior): Graduation » 25 pancakes, 2 sacks allowed.
#44 Matt Collins (LB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 49 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, interception.
#88 Malcolm Francois Jr. (WR/DB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 102 receptions, 1570 yards, 18 touchdowns, 12 tackles, 63 kick returns, 2037 yards, 2 touchdowns, 51 punt returns, 755 yards, touchdown.
#18 Shane Peterson (WR, Senior): Graduation » 50 receptions, 575 yards, 6 touchdowns.
#28 Corey Johnson (CB, Senior): Graduation » 123 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, sack, interception, 5 pass breakups, forced fumble.
#30 Calvin Franz (LB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 118 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, interception, pass breakup.
#10 Kevin Justice (K, Senior): Graduation » 63 of 74, 48 FG Lng, 97 XP%
#19 Steve Townsend (WR, Senior): Graduation » 19 receptions, 228 yards, 2 touchdowns.
#81 David Ryan (WR, Senior): Graduation » 8 receptions, 106 yards, touchdown, 29 kick returns, 911 yards, touchdown.

Post by **Soapy** » 04 Jun 2021, 23:01

McCullough includes Bulls in final top two ahead of National Signing Day
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

The USF Bulls will be one of two teams with their hats in front of five-star athlete Jeremiah McCullough come signing day.

The Miami Central star released an updated top two of Florida State and USF, knocking off UCF and Miami from his list. He had also taken an official visit to Alabama during last fall.

McCullough will be one of several prospects on the board for the Bulls on National Signing Day including fellow five-star Sean Olsen, a receiver out of Alabama that the Bulls are in good standing with.

The tougher battles to call are four-star guard Nick Matthews and Tampa native Paul Wilson, who is the teammate of Bulls commit Antonio Whitehead. Long considered a tandem, Wilson did not commit to the Bulls when Whitehead did and Clemson remains in the picture according to those around him as he had fallen in love with the culture.

If Wilson does end up picking the Tigers, the Bulls could perhaps wipe their tears with the NLI of four-star Derrick Byrd, who is a different type of receiver than Wilson at six-foot-four. Byrd is a bit more raw than Wilson but his physical tools jump off the page and pairing him with Olsen would be a good combination for the Bulls.

2027 USF Recruiting Class
DB Corey Montgomery [ATH #4]: 6'1", 205lbs | Coconut Creek, FL | 5-star | 4.28 40-yd dash, 330 Bench Press Max, 310 Squat Max
QB Antonio Whitehead [QB #5]: 5'11", 212lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.52 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press Max, 340 Squat Max
DE Nate Stewart [DE #3]: 6'4", 264lbs | Powder Springs, GA | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 440 Bench Press Max, 645 Squat Max
DE Justin Young [DE #6]: 6'4", 246lbs | Monessen, PA | 4-star | 4.66 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 630 Squat Max
CB Jay Burke [CB #3]: 5'11", 191lbs | Bloomingdale, TN | 4-star | 4.30 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 265 Squat Max
OLB Greg Booth [OLB #18]: 6'1", 225lbs | Wylie, TX | 4-star | 4.52 40-yd dash, 360 Bench Press Max, 585 Squat Max
K Sheldon Davis [K #5]: 6'1", 205lbs | Russellville, AL | 3-star | 5.16 40-yd dash, 310 Bench Press Max, 280 Squat Max
T Jim Weisbecker [T #79]: 6'4", 310lbs | Jacinto City, TX | 3-star | 5.08 40-yd dash, 405 Bench Press Max, 580 Squat Max
K Spencer Quinn [K #23]: 5'10", 172lbs | Myrtle Grove, FL | 2-star | 4.94 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press Max, 255 Squat Max

2027 USF Recruiting Board
DB Jeremiah McCullough [ATH #3]: 5'11", 180lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | Florida State, USF
WR Sean Olsen [WR #5]: 5'11", 186lbs | Redstone Arsenal, AL | 5-star | USF, Vanderbilt
G Nick Matthews [G #2]: 6'2", 279lbs | Mission Bend, TX | 4-star | USF, Michigan, Texas Tech, Wisconsin
ATH Derrick Byrd [ATH #12]: 6'4", 211lbs | Lanett, AL | 4-star | USF, Ohio State
WR Paul Wilson [WR #13]: 6'0", 193lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Clemson, USF
HB Donte Massey [HB #24]: 5'10", 175lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, West Virginia
HB Joe Marshall [HB #43]: 6'3", 214lbs | Galena Park, TX | 3-star | USF, Texas Tech
QB Terrance Cooper [QB #61]: 6'0", 197lbs | Lake Barcroft, VA | 3-star | USF, Marshall
QB Darius Jones [QB #63]: 6'0", 193lbs | Haleyville, AL | 3-star | USF, Florida State
---------------------------------
WR Ricky Bradford [ATH #6]: 6'7", 218lbs | Houma, LA | 5-star | Committed to Texas
WR Alexis Myers [WR #6]: 6'1", 199lbs | Naples, FL | 5-star | Committed to Nebraska
HB Derrick Wood [HB #3]: 6'1", 196lbs | Seguin, TX | 5-star | Committed to Navy
G Bubba Wynn [G #4]: 6'0", 291lbs | Hallandale, FL | 4-star | Committed to Oklahoma
T Travis Smith [T #6]: 6'7", 317lbs | Harrisburg, PA | 4-star | Committed to Minnesota
P Fred Ward [P #10]: 6'0", 234lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | Committed to Western Kentucky
T Carlos Smith [T #92]: 6'6", 298lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Committed to FIU
T Tim Prater [T #1]: 6'5", 273lbs | Douglasville, GA | 4-star | Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame

Post by **Soapy** » 04 Jun 2021, 23:44

Drama filled National Signing Day lives up to the hype as Bulls land top five class
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

Recruiting is half the fun in college football, if not more, and National Signing Day showed why.

Players once considered to be near locks to USF -- receivers Paul Wilson and Sean Olsen -- committed elsewhere while the Bulls were able to land five-star athlete Jeremiah McCullough, four-star receiver Derrick Byrd and four-star offensive guard Nick Matthews.

USF also got commitments from running backs Donte Massey and Joe Marshall, restocking a room that lost two players in Derrick Green and David Fuller that will be tough to replace.

The story of the day however was Wilson committing to Clemson and Olsen choosing Vanderbilt. Most recruiting insiders had Crystal Ball'd both players to the Bulls since last summer, with many raising their confidence for both following Antonio Whitehead's commitment to the Bulls last fall.

Whitehead was vocal in interviews when discussing his feelings towards the matter.

"[Wilson and Olsen] told me they were coming," Whitehead told Christopher Urutia of 247 Sports, "I don't know what changed, I know [Olsen]'s momma wanted him to go to [Vanderbilt] but I felt like he was down to come, he told me last night he was coming."

Quarterback targets Darius Jones and Terrance Cooper committed to Utah and Marshall respectively, leaving the Bulls with just three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster heading into spring ball.

USF finished the cycle with the third ranked class in the country, behind only Navy and Minnesota. Only Michigan had two or more five-stars with the Wolverines having three.

2027 USF Recruiting Class
DB Jeremiah McCullough [ATH #3]: 5'11", 180lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | 4.42 40-yd dash, 245 Bench Press Max, 290 Squat Max
DB Corey Montgomery [ATH #4]: 6'1", 205lbs | Coconut Creek, FL | 5-star | 4.28 40-yd dash, 330 Bench Press Max, 310 Squat Max
WR Derrick Byrd [ATH #12]: 6'4", 211lbs | Lanett, AL | 4-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 330 Bench Press Max, 265 Squat Max
QB Antonio Whitehead [QB #5]: 5'11", 212lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.52 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press Max, 340 Squat Max
G Nick Matthews [G #2]: 6'2", 279lbs | Mission Bend, TX | 4-star | 4.82 40-yd dash, 440 Bench Press Max, 665 Squat Max
DE Nate Stewart [DE #3]: 6'4", 264lbs | Powder Springs, GA | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 440 Bench Press Max, 645 Squat Max
DE Justin Young [DE #6]: 6'4", 246lbs | Monessen, PA | 4-star | 4.66 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 630 Squat Max
CB Jay Burke [CB #3]: 5'11", 191lbs | Bloomingdale, TN | 4-star | 4.30 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 265 Squat Max
HB Donte Massey [HB #24]: 5'10", 175lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.54 40-yd dash, 300 Bench Press Max, 255 Squat Max
OLB Greg Booth [OLB #18]: 6'1", 225lbs | Wylie, TX | 4-star | 4.52 40-yd dash, 360 Bench Press Max, 585 Squat Max
HB Joe Marshall [HB #43]: 6'3", 214lbs | Galena Park, TX | 3-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 405 Bench Press Max, 240 Squat Max
K Sheldon Davis [K #5]: 6'1", 205lbs | Russellville, AL | 3-star | 5.16 40-yd dash, 310 Bench Press Max, 280 Squat Max
T Jim Weisbecker [T #79]: 6'4", 310lbs | Jacinto City, TX | 3-star | 5.08 40-yd dash, 405 Bench Press Max, 580 Squat Max
K Spencer Quinn [K #23]: 5'10", 172lbs | Myrtle Grove, FL | 2-star | 4.94 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press Max, 255 Squat Max

2027 USF Recruiting Board
---------------------------------
WR Ricky Bradford [ATH #6]: 6'7", 218lbs | Houma, LA | 5-star | Committed to Texas
WR Alexis Myers [WR #6]: 6'1", 199lbs | Naples, FL | 5-star | Committed to Nebraska
HB Derrick Wood [HB #3]: 6'1", 196lbs | Seguin, TX | 5-star | Committed to Navy
WR Sean Olsen [WR #5]: 5'11", 186lbs | Redstone Arsenal, AL | 5-star | Committed to Clemson
T Tim Prater [T #1]: 6'5", 273lbs | Douglasville, GA | 4-star | Committed to Ohio State
G Bubba Wynn [G #4]: 6'0", 291lbs | Hallandale, FL | 4-star | Committed to Oklahoma
T Travis Smith [T #6]: 6'7", 317lbs | Harrisburg, PA | 4-star | Committed to Minnesota
WR Paul Wilson [WR #13]: 6'0", 193lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Committed to Clemson
QB Terrance Cooper [QB #61]: 6'0", 197lbs | Lake Barcroft, VA | 3-star | Committed to Marshall
QB Darius Jones [QB #63]: 6'0", 193lbs | Haleyville, AL | 3-star | Committed to Utah
P Fred Ward [P #10]: 6'0", 234lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | Committed to Western Kentucky
T Carlos Smith [T #92]: 6'6", 298lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Committed to FIU

247Sports Top 25 Recruiting Class
1. Navy
2. Minnesota
3. USF
4. Alabama
5. Nebraska
6. Virginia Tech
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
9. Michigan
10. USC
11. Ohio State
12. Clemson
13. Missouri
14. Michigan State
15. UCLA
16. Iowa
17. Indiana
18. Georgia
19. Georgia Tech
20. Kentucky
21. Notre Dame
22. Louisiana Tech
23. Oregon
24. Texas A&M
25. Army
-----
29. Auburn
32. Florida State
33. Miami
40. Tennessee
47. Florida
48. Ole Miss
53. LSU
56. Arkansas
59. Vanderbilt
62. Mississippi State

Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
#1 Trent Mays [ATH #1]: 6'2", 217lbs | Prescott, AZ | University of Oklahoma
#2 Danny Terry [ATH #2]: 6'1", 204lbs | Westwood, MI | University of Michigan
#3 James Lewis [HB #1]: 5'10", 203lbs | South Orange, NJ | University of Wisconsin
#4 Will Turner [WR #1]: 6'1", 185lbs | Santee, CA | University of California - Los Angeles
#5 Jeremiah McCullough [ATH #3]: 5'11", 180lbs | Miami, FL | University of South Florida
#6 Michael Boden [HB #2]: 5'11", 196lbs | Siler City, NC | University of Alabama
#7 Corey Montgomery [ATH #4]: 6'1", 205lbs | Coconut Creek, FL | University of South Florida
#8 Eric Nichols [WR #2]: 5'10", 183lbs | Galax, VA | University of Michigan
#9 Wendell Cox [ATH #5]: 6'1", 196lbs | First Colony, TX | Kansas State University
#10 Grant Smith [WR #3]: 6'1", 199lbs | Monahans, TX | University of Michigan
#11 Ryan Colbert [WR #4]: 6'3", 198lbs | North Atlanta, GA | Ohio State University
#12 Ricky Bradford [ATH #6]: 6'7", 218lbs | Houma, LA | University of Texas
#13 Frank Muse [ATH #7]: 6'1", 223lbs | Abbeville, SC | University of North Carolina
#14 Bobby Roberson [ATH #8]: 6'1", 225lbs | Parma, OH | Army
#15 Mark Hagen [QB #1]: 6'6", 215lbs | Ottawa, IL | Auburn University
#16 Sean Olsen [WR #5]: 5'11", 186lbs | Redstone Arsenal, AL | Vanderbilt University
#17 Derrick Wood [HB #3]: 6'1", 196lbs | Seguin, TX | Naval Academy
#18 Blake Hood [ATH #9]: 6'5", 231lbs | Lansing, MI | Michigan State University
#19 Alexis Myers [WR #6]: 6'1", 199lbs | Naples, FL | University of Nebraska
#20 Travis Meyers [ATH #10]: 6'5", 234lbs | Litchfield Park, AZ | University of Arizona
#21 Corey Fry [QB #2]: 6'4", 230lbs | Sherwood, AR | Texas State University

Post by **Soapy** » 04 Jun 2021, 23:45

Toughest Bulls to replace for 2027 as USF looks to repeat
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

With National Signing Day around the corner, USF will be trying to reload what was arguably their best roster of all time last season. While few of these true freshman will be counted on to replace the talent that was lost to the draft and graduation, someone on the roster will need to answer that bell.

The top five players that USF will need to replace in 2027 and some potential suitors for those shoes.

TE Vincent Everett
Everett had a really good freshman season before injuries knocked him out for all but three of his games as a sophomore where he averaged a whopping 122 yards per game.

While he didn't keep those averages up in 2026 with a much bigger workload, it wasn't too far behind as he had career numbers as a junior with 82 receptions for 1194 yards and fourteen touchdowns.

You don't have to look far for his replacements however as they got plenty of burn with Jean-Jacques Francois catching 25 passes for 375 yards on the year while Tariq Smith, mainly used as a blocker this season, caught 44 passes as a freshman when Everett was injured.

Why is Everett #1 then? He was Jed White's security blanket and while Smith and Francois have shown flashes, they have long ways to go before they can be relied upon as dependable receivers and Francois has a lot, a lot, a lot of work to do as a blocker, especially in Rhett Lashlee's power spread offense.
-
CB Sid Robinson/Corey Johnson
Robinson and Johnson share this spot as we know who CB1 is going to be in Pierre Francois. The question is who is CB2 and probably more importantly, are they good enough to be a CB2 right now in the SEC?

True freshman Marcus Hodge intercepted two passes this season but was picked on at times ever sine replacing Jonathan Mirvil who prior to his injury was also the target of many offensive coordinators game plan. It's a wide open competition going into the spring and it might remain that way for a while.
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WR Darius Downs/Jason Barbour
This is another two-for-one and unlike corner where the Bulls can maybe opt to play more base packages with two corners and therefore only need one SEC caliber player at the position, the Bulls will need not just one but two -- preferably even three -- receivers to break out from the pack this spring at receiver.

Ryan Wagner is likely the option in the slot, he was uber productive his first two seasons before catching just sixteen passes this past season as Malcolm Francois Jr. didn't come off the field as often.

Andrew Rivas, a former five-star, should be one of the guys on the outside. He caught four touchdowns as a freshman and at six-foot-six, he brings something USF hasn't had maybe ever in a top receiver with that size. Who goes opposite him? Maybe one of the other rising sophomores in Jimmy Ingram or Bobby Arnold? Or does one of the incoming true freshman snag that spot and never let go, as we've seen other high caliber recruits done before at the position.
-
LB Alex Miller/Calvin Franz
Keep the trend going with another duo in Miller and Franz who were the Bulls top linebackers last season. When Miller went down, USF's defense felt the impact and now they'll be without their two most athletic linebackers.

Justin Wilcox has been perhaps evasive when asked about the scheme that he'll implement but either way, he needs talented linebackers and right now, there aren't a ton of proven talent on the roster. Marcus Rhoden jumps out with his five-star ranking and Danny Love got All-SEC numbers due to the counting stats but impact wise, Love has been hit or miss at times. Can they find that true dominant linebacker after leaning on a rotation this past year?
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HB David Fuller
Derrick Green could be included in this as well but at the end of the day, it was clear that Fuller -- when healthy -- was the top running back and his sophomore season is almost folklore at this point as Bulls fans haven't had a productive running back at that level since.

Jason Finley had a sneaky good season last year, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 43.5 yards per game but at times last season, the running game was stagnant. Ronnie Smith got a lot more playing time than some expected as a redshirt freshman, mainly due to injuries to Fuller and Green. While both Finley and Smith proved to be serviceable running backs, none of them had that extra gear that we saw from Fuller and even Green at times as far as the ability to turn on the jets and leave defenders in their wake.

Post by **Soapy** » 05 Jun 2021, 01:04

Bulls adjusting to new 3-4 defense as defense gets a facelift
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

Even after Manny Diaz was the latest to treat USF's defensive coordinator gig as a quick stop, Bulls head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. was not deterred from what he wanted from his next defensive coordinator.

"Do your thing on that side of that football," Francois Sr. said of the decision to hire another former head coach as a defensive coordinator instead of promoting from within or hiring an up-and-coming coordinator, "I want guys that are proven, guys that have ran entire programs because I do expect you to run the defense as if you're running a team and you have total liberty to implement what you want to do, the type of guys you want to bring and all that. I don't want career coordinators, to be honest with you, I want guys to continue to elevate and challenge themselves."

Enter Justin Wilcox, defensive wizard despite a rather unsuccessful stint in the desert that is the Bulls new defensive coordinator. Outside of Dave Doeren, five of the Bulls last six defensive coordinators have spent just one season with USF before leaving for another posting. While no promises have been made or at least disclosed publicly, Wilcox's vision of the Bulls defense might take more than one year to implement and after the roundabout changes he's done in just his first ten spring practices, Bulls fans are hoping he's in it for the long haul.

Kyle Swain, who led the team in sacks last season with seven, is up to 277 pounds. Freshman All-American Greg White, whose played with his hand in the dirt since he was in optimist football, is now a stand-up rush linebacker. So is redshirt sophomore B.J. Patton, who transferred to USF to be their next great pass rusher. William Levine hasn't skipped a meal in weeks and is slowly packing on the weight he'll need to go from an athletic three-technique to a brute of a nose guard in Wilcox's 3-4 defense.

"It's definitely different," says inside linebacker Danny Love of Wilcox's defense, who started fourteen games last season at Mike, one of the few positions that carried over from Manny Diaz's defense of last season.

Diaz ran primarily out of nickel from a four-down set with some 4-3 principles and the name of the game was being aggressive and attacking the offense. Defensive ends were thought to get up field without being too reckless but getting up field nonetheless. Meet at the quarterback, play on the other side of the ball, create chaos. Those were the mantras in Diaz's defense and of course, speed.

For Wilcox, it's a more measured approach. It's gap discipline. It's taking on blocks to free up the two inside backers. It's bend, bend, bend but don't break. If turnovers happen, so be it but the name of the game is to not let the other team score as many points as you can.

The change in scheme has allowed some true freshman, who would have been behind the learning curve, be on a more level playing field with other upperclassmen and are now competing for a starting job. Four-star defensive end Nate Stewart played in a similar defense his last two seasons in high school and has hit the ground running, splitting more and more reps with the starters. Instead of battling for a spot with White and Patton, Stewart's path to getting on the field is a lot clearer now. Redshirt junior Marcus Smith was serviceable last season as part of the rotation but his physical tools are limited and pale in comparison to Stewart.

While it's been an easier transition for others, as a whole, it's a big undertaking and one whose success and failure will land on the shoulder of Wilcox. That's only half the drama for the Bulls fan as its success could lead to Wilcox being the latest to jettison out of Tampa and leave the Bulls once more in this situation next fall, adjusting to a new defense.

Post by **Soapy** » 05 Jun 2021, 17:54

Former five-star Corey Montgomery among standouts at Bulls spring game
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

You can't teach speed and that's something true freshman wide receiver Corey Montgomery has in abundance.

"[Montgomery] needs to lend me some of that speed," said Bulls senior receiver Ryan Wagner, who is one of the fastest players in the conference in his own right.

Montgomery's athleticism has allowed the true freshman to get on the field during spring practices and even with the vanilla offense that was trotted out during the spring game that was open to the public, Montgomery managed to make plays. He had a 39-yard touchdown on a screen pass and then caught a 21-yard touchdown pass, beating cornerback Marcus Hodge and was too fast for junior safety Jay Jacobs to help in coverage.

Montgomery was originally slated to share the defensive backfield with Hodge, Jacobs and the likes but at the start of spring, he found his home at receiver. The Bulls had recruited him for safety throughout his recruitment cycle but with USF losing its top four pass catches, it makes all the sense in the world for Montgomery to at least start out on offense.

More reinforcements are coming at receiver once guys like Derrick Byrd and potentially Jeremiah McCullough, who could end up at either defensive back or receiver, enroll in the summer. Redshirt junior James Harper also showed flashes and with almost twenty pounds on the biggest corners that the Bulls have to offer, he made his presence felt with his physicality and toughness after the catch. Sophomore Andrew Rivas is talented and has all the physical tools in the world to be an elite receiver but nothing has clicked yet and he still seems to be a level or two below where many of the top Bulls receivers were in their second year.

Other standouts included redshirt freshman running back Dion Rogers. He has a tough hill to climb to crack the rotation at running back but he could be a dark horse to potentially be that guy this season and beyond under the right circumstances.

On the defensive side of things, it was sloppy at times and Rhett Lashlee certainly seemed to get the better of Justin Wilcox in their first showing as defensive coordinator. The pass rusher was lethargic and linebacker play was pedestrian at best but the secondary showed promises. True freshman Jay Burke has been one of the better corners in the spring, outplaying even Pierre Francois at times and with his speed and size, he could potentially keep Francois in the slot where he played last season and be the boundary corner opposite Jonathan Mirvil, the Bulls' only corner above six feet tall.

Post by **Soapy** » 05 Jun 2021, 18:05

Heisman winner, All-American White to Wear No. 1 in 2027
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF's Heisman winning quarterback Jed White will wear No. 1 for the Bulls in 2027, head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. announced on Tuesday.

A relatively new tradition at USF, the No. 1 jersey has become associated with a player who is a dynamic playmaker while also displaying all of the qualities necessary to build championship teams around. Some past wearers of the No. 1 jersey for USF include wide receiver Zac White, quarterback Michael Harrell and former Heisman winner running back Troy Henry.

"It's an honor to be part of the legacy of players that have worn the number 1 jersey," White said. "I'm looking forward to upholding the tradition and the standard of play that has been set by the group that has come before me."

Last year, wide receiver Darius Downs wore the No. 1 USF jersey.

Post by **Captain Canada** » 05 Jun 2021, 18:39

Another National Championship, and you know I always fuck with the off-season reports. Good shit, brother.

Post by **Soapy** » 07 Jun 2021, 07:49

Captain Canada wrote: ↑
05 Jun 2021, 18:39
Another National Championship, and you know I always fuck with the off-season reports. Good shit, brother.

yeah the recruiting, roster and gameplay house rules have kept it in check for now but really feels like we're about to go on a run now with the level of QBs we've been able to land.

Post by **Soapy** » 07 Jun 2021, 10:48

Bulls taking national approach this recruiting cycle, will it pay off?
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

The University of South Florida dominated opponents on the field on their way to a national championship last season but on the recruiting trail, they had to fight and claw for their number three rankings in the 247 Sports Composite Team Rankings.

Even with the Bulls' recruiting policy of no commitments from juniors, the Bulls are in a good position with several of the top recruits in the state of Florida but maybe more interestingly is how national their board appears to be, at least early in the cycle.

With a roster of 42 kids from the state of Florida, USF is always going to look for the talent in-state and are active in the recruitment of five-stars Pat Newsome and George Harrell, two of the best recruits in the state. But they are also targeting guys out of Connecticut like four-star tight end Josh Smith and Illinois' Brent Slaughter.

USF signed nine kids last cycle out of state compared to just five the year prior. Those numbers might continue to go up, especially when top recruits like Nigel Medley (Coppell, Texas) are speaking highly of the Bulls as their recruitment ramps up. The Bulls are now a national brand due to their national championships as well as their stints in the Big 12 and now the SEC which have a large geographical footprint, especially in some of the states that the Bulls are looking to poach talent from.

2028 USF Recruiting Class

2028 USF Recruiting Board
WR Pat Newsome [ATH #2]: 6'5", 218lbs | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 5-star | USF, Alabama, Clemson, Ole Miss
HB Nigel Medley [ATH #3]: 6'1", 215lbs | Coppell, TX | 5-star | Alabama, USF, Oklahoma, Louisville
ATH George Harrell [ATH #4]: 5'11", 215lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | USF, Florida State, Miami, UCF
DE Jason Hamilton [ATH #7]: 6'4", 248lbs | Ocoee, FL | 5-star | Alabama, USF, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Tennessee
HB/WR Brent Slaughter [ATH #10]: 6'5", 226lbs | Highland Park, IL | 5-star | USF, Navy, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama
S Fred Jones [S #1]: 6'1", 184lbs | Bradenton, FL [IMG Academy] | 4-star | USF, Notre Dame, Louisville, Michigan State, Ohio State
G Lamar Felder [G #1]: 6'5", 280lbs | Shaler Township, FL | 4-star | USF, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Louisville, North Carolina
S Brandon Benjamin [S #4]: 6'2", 200lbs | Riverview, MI | 4-star | USF, Navy, Florida Atlantic, Michigan State, Ohio State
DT Chris Mark [DT #4]: 6'4", 266lbs | Corpus Christi, TX | 4-star | USF, Louisville, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Texas A&M
DE Cornelius Ross [DE #7]: 6'4", 241lbs | Bakersfield, CA | 4-star | USF, Clemson, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State
DE James Bush [DE #10]: 6'6", 255lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Florida
T Ben Brown [T #7]: 6'2, 261lbs | Lawrenceville, GA | 4-star | USF, Louisville, UCF, Clemson, Minnesota
TE Lance Fields [TE #8]: 6'4", 242lbs | Jacksonville Beach, FL | 4-star | USF, FIU, FAU, LA Tech, Florida State
TE Josh Smith [TE #9]: 6'4", 242lbs | Ansonia, CT | 4-star | USF, Minnesota, Michigan State, Oklahoma State
DT Kevin Simon [DT #14]: 6'3", 311lbs | Santa Barbara, CA | 4-star | USF, Syracuse, UCF, Ole Miss, Washington State
ILB Mike Jackson [ILB #11]: 6'1", 234lbs | Hot Springs Village, AR | 4-star | USF, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
ILB Gary Adkins [ILB #15]: 6'1", 250lbs | Coral Springs, FL | 4-star | USF, Clemson, Michigan State, Tennessee, Ohio State
CB Andrew White [CB #15]: 5'11", 181lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Michigan State, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Clemson
QB James Brown [QB #41]: 6'2", 221lbs | Hamilton, OH | 3-star | USF, UCF, Miami, NC State, Clemson
QB Todd Woods [QB #58]: 6'2", 210lbs | Mason City, IA | 3-star | USF, Louisville, Clemson, Minnesota, Ohio
QB George Mobley [QB #64]: 6'0", 201lbs | Maitland, FL [JUCO] | 3-star | USF, UCF, Alabama, Louisville, Oklahoma

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