Strength in Unity.

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Jul 2021, 15:38

Bulls hire former Indiana, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald to replace Justin Wilcox
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Former Indiana head coach Pat Fitzgerald has accepted the defensive coordinator position at the University of South Florida.

Fitzgerald was most recently at Indiana where he never won more than six games after a mildly successful stint at Northwestern. The Hoosiers defense last season was ranked 11th in the Big Ten in scoring defense and 2nd in total defense.

While he's had his struggles as a head coach, similar to Justin Wilcox at the time of his hiring, Fitzgerald is a respected defensive mind in the business. The key difference between the two hires is that schematically, Fitzgerald traditionally runs a 4-3 defense with two high safeties as opposed to Wilcox's 3-4 defense that had success in his two seasons at USF.

Notable Head Coaching Changes
Syracuse :: Alex Little replaces Walt Wells (fired)
Virginia Tech :: Scott Loeffler replaces Bud Foster (retired)
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Indiana :: Mike Yurcich replaces Pat Fitzgerald (fired)
Maryland :: Steve Ellis replaces Don Treadwell (retired)
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Kansas State :: A.J. Rucker replaces Rich Skrosky (retired)
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California :: Justin Wilcox replaces Derek Mason (fired)
Oregon State :: Steve Addazio replaces Tony Petersen (fired)
UCLA :: Neal Neathery replaces Jim Mora (retired)
Utah :: Derek Mason replaces Paul Haynes (fired)
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Kentucky :: Kalani Sitake replaces A.J. Rucker (fired)
Vanderbilt :: Walt Wells replaces Earvin Singeltary

SEC Coaching Staff Changes
Arkansas DC | Aaron Hartman replaces Jason Moore (fired)
Florida OC | Chuck Martin replaces Brian Wright (contract expired)
Kentucky OC | Eric Tate replaces Bobby Wilder (retired)
USF DC | Pat Fitzgerald replaces Justin Wilcox (left for new job)
Vanderbilt DC | David Elson replaces Chris Ash (fired)

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Jul 2021, 15:51

Williams, Rogers go pro as Bulls' roster fall victim to transfer portal
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF underclassmen safety Paul Williams, linebacker Marcus Rhoden and running back Dion Rogers have both declared for the draft.

Williams' decision was an expected one after the All-American put together three straight seasons of elite level play at safety and figures to be one of the highest drafted defensive players in the draft although scouts vary on his position at the next level.

For Rogers, back-to-back seasons of rushing for over 1,200 yards was enough to him to choose to go pro although some draft experts have him as a low as a projected seventh round pick.

The biggest variance in terms of draft opinion is Rhoden who put together a Butkus Award winning performance in his senior season but was relatively unproductive his first two seasons with 33 tackles and seven tackles for loss. In 2028 alone, he bested those numbers with a team leading 99 tackles to go with 13 tackles for loss and three sacks. Some view him as a mid-round pick while some thing his lack of elite athleticism will have him go undrafted. Justin Wilcox's departure to Cal might have also impacted Rhoden's early departure.

The story of the offseason, however, will be the three transfers at receiver. Andrew Rivas, Jimmy Ingram and Bobby Arnold are all leaving the program for Florida State, Arkansas and Bethune Cookman respectively. All three were four-star or higher ranked players when they signed in the same class with Rivas being a five-star recruit out of Texas.

The Bulls signed only one receiver in the early signing period.

2028 Players Leaving » Career Stats
#2 Paul Williams (S, Junior): Declared Early » 290 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 9 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, 10 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles.
#54 Marcus Rhoden (ILB, Junior): Declared Early » 133 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries, safety.
#22 Dion Rogers (HB, Rs Sophomore): Declared Early » 335 carries, 2488 yards, 11 touchdowns, 51 receptions, 339 yards, touchdown.
#85 Andrew Rivas (WR, Junior): Transfer (Florida State) » 45 receptions, 470 yards, 7 touchdowns.
#12 Jimmy Ingram (WR, Rs Sophomore): Transfer (Arkansas) » 26 receptions, 359 yards.
#17 Bobby Arnold (WR, Junior): Transfer (Bethune Cookman) » 16 receptions, 110 yards, touchdown.
#2 Jay Jackson (QB, Rs Senior): Graduation » 330 of 477, 4154 yards, 33 touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 159 carries, 815 yards, 9 touchdowns.
#78 Chris Simpson (G/T, Senior): Graduation » 21 pancakes, 22 sacks allowed.
#67 Robbie Wade (G, Rs Senior): Graduation » 23 pancakes, 4 sacks allowed.
#80 James Harper (WR, Rs Senior): Graduation » 78 receptions, 1189 yards, 12 touchdowns.
#24 Jonathan Mirvil (CB, Senior): Graduation » 82 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 11 interceptions, 4 touchdowns, 10 pass breakups.
#97 Marcus Smith (DE, Rs Senior): Graduation » 31 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 8 sacks.
#21 Pierre Francois (CB, Senior): Graduation » 191 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 11 interceptions, 3 touchdowns, 27 pass breakups, forced fumble, fumble recovery.
#98 James Faulk (DT, Rs Senior): Graduation » 19 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.
#76 Marcus Clark (T, Rs Senior): Graduation » No stats.
#20 Ralph Gray (S, Senior): Graduation » 27 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, pass breakup.

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Jul 2021, 16:08

Bulls new Crystal Ball leader for Maryland linebacker Mark Johnson
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

The nation's top recruiting class isn't done yet.

The South Florida Bulls received three more Crystal Balls for 247Sports 3rd ranked outside linebacker Mark Johnson out of Maryland.

Johnson, who also moonlights as a star running back at DeMatha High School, had previously been Crystal Ball'd to both Michigan State and UCLA but as the calendar turned, the Bulls coaching staff have been able to put all of their focus onto the athletic linebacker.

Newly hired defensive coordinator Pat Fitzgerald's first public recruiting effort as visiting Johnson in his home with his family last week. Within hours of the visit being made public, two Crystal Balls came in for USF with a third coming last night.

The Bulls are now the Crystal Ball leader with six while UCLA and Michigan are at four apiece from verified insiders.

2029 USF Recruiting Class
HB E.J. Thomas [HB #1]: 5'10", 209lbs | Albany, GA | 5-star | 4.44 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Press Max, 345 Squat Max
WR Louis Dukes IV [ATH #9]: 6'4", 210lbs | Owasso, OK | 5-star | 4.54 40-yd dash, 325 Bench Press Max, 345 Squat Max
OT Michael Bowser [ATH #13]: 6'6", 268lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | 4.96 40-yd dash, 440 Bench Press Max, 655 Squat Max
HB Anthony Montgomery [HB #3]: 6'1", 207lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | 4.54 40-yd dash, 275 Bench Press Max, 355 Squat Max
C Daniel Moore [C #1]: 6'3", 296lbs | Warner Robbins, GA | 5-star | 5.22 40-yd dash, 405 Bench Press Max, 525 Squat Max
WR Travis Lewis [WR #5]: 6'4", 189lbs | Oak Forest, IL | 5-star | 4.54 40-yd dash, 235 Bench Press Max, 275 Squat Max
HB/DB David Daniel [ATH #28]: 6'2", 221lbs | Tallahassee, FL | 4-star | 4.60 40-yd dash, 340 Bench Press Max, 300 Squat Max
ILB Bill Pace [ILB #10]: 6'1", 242lbs | Homeland Park, SC | 4-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press Max, 545 Squat Max
ILB Curtis Carter [ILB #11]: 5'11", 223lbs | Hallandale, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 375 Bench Press Max, 585 Squat Max
DT Dwayne Callahan [DT #6]: 6'4", 300lbs | Tallahassee, FL | 4-star | 5.06 40-yd dash, 450 Bench Press, 595 Squat Max
TE Chance Fisher [TE #9]: 6'5", 257lbs | West Milford, NJ | 4-star | 4.58 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 250 Squat Max
CB Adam Kelly [CB #30]: 5'11", 179lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.38 40-yd dash, 245 Bench Press Max, 250 Squat Max
ATH Brad Williams [ATH #68]: 6'4", 211lbs | Palm Beach Gardens, FL (JUCO) | 3-star | 4.36 40-yd dash, 265 Bench Press Max, 285 Squat Max
ILB Willie Lawrence [ILB #61]: 5'10", 244lbs | Tamiami, FL | 3-star | 4.66 40-yd dash, 360 Bench Press Max, 520 Squat Max
T James Jones [T #93]: 6'7", 303lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.84 40-yd dash, 395 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max

2029 USF Recruiting Board
OLB Mark Johnson [OLB #3]: 6'2", 226lbs | Fairland, MD | 4-star | UCLA, USF, Michigan State
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TE Derrick Hunter [TE #2]: 6'5", 255lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | Committed to Florida State
T Kenneth Smith [T #7]: 6'6", 292lbs | Galena Park, TX | 4-star | Committed to Texas
HB Sean Adams [HB #11]: 6'1", 213lbs | Forest Park, GA | 4-star | Committed to Navy
G James Thompson [G #57]: 6'3", 285lbs | Carnegie, PA | 3-star | Committed to Virginia Tech
DE John Hamby [DE #1]: 6'2", 245lbs | Greensboro, NC | 5-star | Notre Dame, Texas
C Kyle Moss [C #3]: 6'2", 313lbs | Bridge City, FL | 4-star | Navy, Colorado, SMU, Rice
G Elton Hopkins [G #6]: 6'4", 286lbs | Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | Georgia Tech, Navy, Minnesota

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Jul 2021, 16:35

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Jul 2021, 16:55

Aftermath of 2025 conference shakeup felt as Navy, Vanderbilt to move into new conferences
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

Navy football has quietly been one of the top programs in the country and it's being rewarded. The Midshipmen's move to the ACC has been finalized with them moving from the American Athletic Conference to the ACC for football only, effectively immediately.

The ACC had been looking for new members ever since losing Florida State and Miami to the SEC back in 2025 and found it in Navy. The addition gives the conference an uneven fifteen teams and it will likely still be on the prowl for that sixteenth member.

We know it won't be Vanderbilt as the school announced that they will be joining the Big Ten. The move won't be official and completed until next season where the Commodores will compete in the Big Ten for all sports, leaving the SEC with fifteen teams.

After the 2025 conference shakeup that saw the ACC bludgeoned and the SEC strengthened, the two conferences are once again at odds for the race of a sixteenth member. For the ACC, the dream scenario has always been getting Notre Dame football and the seeds have certainly been planted to do so.

The big play to watch, however, is Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Texas and Oklahoma were a rumored addition back in 2025 before the Big XII was able to convince them to stay with the addition of Texas A&M. However, ratings for the Big 12 Network have dwindled since South Florida's exodus and the grass is looking even greener now for Texas and Oklahoma. Texas A&M has already shown that they're willing to leave for bigger money and would surely abandon ship.

Many thought the conference shakeups were done back in 2025 but that is certainly not the case.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Jul 2021, 09:02

USF football: Spring game reveals potential new reality and expectations for 2029 team
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

It didn't feel like that long ago that USF was having their way with the Texas Longhorns in New Orleans but alas, the Bulls returned to Raymond James Stadium for their annual spring game.

While the setup was the same as years before -- first team offense and second/third team defense on Team Rocky with first team defense and second/third team offense on Team Bulls -- the characters were certainly different.

USF is returning just five full-time starters on offense in receiver Corey Montgomery, tight end Jean-Jacques Francois, left tackle James King, interior offensive linemen Nick Matthews and right guard Andrew Smart.

It was evident on Saturday with Team Bulls beating Team Rocky in what was a sloppy albeit physical 17-7 win for Team Bulls. George Mobley finished 8-of-21 for 121 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on the winning team while Antonio Whitehead was 10-of-20 for 153 yards and a touchdown for Team Rocky. The second team offensive line struggled mightily and had Mobley scrambling on almost every play.

True freshman center Daniel Moore, a former five-star, had the toughest day of any player, surrendering five QB pressures and two sacks. It shouldn't have been too surprising given that USF is bringing back nearly their entire front seven and in Pat Fitzgerald's 4-3 defense, converted defensive end Nate Stewart was able to wreck havoc from the three technique spot against Moore.

Stewart's play his first two seasons could be described as spotty with a tendency to go several snaps -- sometimes entire quarters -- without making his impact felt. Even when Moore was replaced by redshirt sophomore John Rawlins at center, Stewart had his way.

The defensive line has a whole, flashed. Greg White and B.J. Patton look even more comfortable at defensive ends after being stand-up outside linebackers the past two seasons in Justin Wilcox's 3-4 scheme. That's a scary thought considering many expect Patton to be a preseason All-American after recording 18 sacks in the last two seasons. He didn't record a sack in the spring game but did generate four pressures.

The pressure up front didn't allow for fans and the media to get a good look at what is a ravished secondary. The Bulls lost their top two corners in Pierre Francois and Jonathan Mirvil along with the leader of the defense in Paul Williams. Fitzgerald kept it vanilla, as is the norm in the spring game, but there were times where senior safety Jermaine Robertson had to literally push players into the right position.

The bright spot on offense was true freshman running back E.J. Thomas who scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Team Bulls the eventual win. He's as advertised: big, physical with a little bit more giddy up in his step than his frame would suggest. It'll be interesting to see his official weight on the roster as he looked a lot bigger than the 209 pounds he was listed at in high school.

A running back that did struggle was Corey Montgomery's younger half-brother Anthony Montgomery. The younger Montgomery had seven carries for 16 yards and was noticeable less explosive than all of the other running backs. It's going to be tough for him to iron out a role for himself on the team as senior Ronnie Smith has seniority and knowledge of the offense, Pookie Harrell is one of the fastest players on the team and Thomas is the more physical of all the running backs. Where exactly does Montgomery fit in at running back?

Other true freshmen that had less than impressive debut were receivers Travis Lewis and Louis Dukes. Both failed to record a catch and while some of them had to do with the offensive line play and sloppy offensive execution all around, they both also had tough springs. With JUCO transfer Brad Williams settling it at receiver and receiver-turned-tight-end Brent Slaughter being back at receiver, Lewis and Dukes could find themselves off the field this season.

Staying at receiver, after two seasons of a heavy rotation, there were three clear starters on Saturday in Montgomery, Derrick Byrd and Pat Newsome. Byrd, just like last spring, had probably the best game of the outside receivers.

The big picture, however, is clear. This isn't one of the most talented teams that the Bulls have fielded and with questions at quarterback, Bulls fans should perhaps tamper expectations. They'll likely start the season ranked in the top ten but unless the defense is able to replicate last season's production as the nation's top scoring defense, it's hard to see them finishing there.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Jul 2021, 09:32

USF pass rusher B.J. Patton next to wear No. 1
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF defensive end B.J. Patton is the next in line to wear the coveted No. 1 jersey, USF announced on Tuesday.

Patton, who previously wore No. 6, is the first defensive lineman and transfer player to wear the number since the tradition started.

The No. 1 jersey is traditionally given to the team’s best player and leader, and has been worn by the likes of Jed White, Troy Henry, Travis Hughes and Zac White.

“I understand what the number represents and how important the number is the USF football program,” Patton said in a news release. “This is truly an honor especially when you consider all the great players that have worn the number. I look up to those guys and try to model my game after them – the way they played the game and the way they carried themselves off the field. “This is a dream come true for me. I’m going to wear the number the right way and do all that I can to be a leader for this team on and off the field.”

Patton, as a redshirt junior, recorded seven sacks along with 21 tackles for loss and was a finalist for the Nagurski and Bednarik Trophy. Patton's sack total should increase this season as he moves from outside linebacker to defensive end in Pat Fitzgerald's 4-3 scheme.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Jul 2021, 10:29

Four positions that will determine how good -- or how bad -- USF's 2029 season will be
Jessica Kirkland -- SB Nation: USF Bulls Affiliate

Depending on who you ask, USF will either be one of the top teams in the country by season end or just an average, SEC team. The AP Poll is going with the former, ranking the Bulls as the eight best team in the country heading into the season.

The reasons for the variance in opinions are plentiful. The Bulls have one of the non-conference schedules in college football with a trip to Louisville and a homestand against top-ranked Ohio State. The SEC is loaded this season and even with them not playing powerhouse Alabama, they still have to face divisional rival Florida and Miami with many expecting the Hurricanes to have a strong bounce back this season.

The other main reason is quarterback. George Mobley introduced himself to the world in the bowl game against Texas but was that Texas Texas'ing or is he a legit quarterback? Antonio Whitehead has shown some flashes but again, nothing consistent enough to have confident that he can lead a top-ten team.

Ultimately, it'll be more than just quarterback play that decides how good this season is. As the Bulls enter fall camp, here are the positions that the Bulls must find an answer at:

The starting five up front
USF's offensive line was hot and cold last season, particularly towards the end of the season. A lot of Jay Jackson's interception problems were offensive line issues that saw him have to speed up his processor a lot quicker than he wanted to.

Both Mobley and Whitehead get the ball out of their hands quicker but again, we'll see how that holds up throughout the season. They lost their right tackle and left guard to graduation and have questions almost everywhere outside of left tackle Andrew King and guard Andrew Smart.

Center Nick Matthews struggled last season at center and in the spring game, he got snaps at both center and right guard. When Matthews moved to right guard, it kicked Smart to the opposite side on the left which would give the Bulls one of the stronger left sides in college football in redshirt seniors King and Smart.

Replacing Matthews at center was redshirt senior Jason Harrington who has a grand total of zero career snaps. With a first time starter at quarterback, is that prudent?
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What does the backend of the defense look like?
We know the starting four up front will be defensive ends B.J. Patton and Greg White, probably the best duo in the conference, with Nate Stewart and E.J. Jones on the inside. At the next level, it's going to be redshirt senior Kenny Frye at Mike and junior Greg Booth at Will with the Sam linebacker being up for grabs between redshirt junior Jason Lindsey, who struggled in the spring game, and incoming true freshman Mark Johnson who got to campus in the summer.

It's anyone's guess, however, what the back four/five looks like. We know it'll have Marcus Hodge and Jay Burke as the two outside corners. Is it Sam Harris or Andrew Wright at nickel? Harris has the nod on both experience and is a slightly better athlete but Wright had a really good spring and outplayed Harris in the spring game as well.

At safety, Fred Jones has the most experience but struggled at times in coverage. Without lockdown corners Pierre Francois and Jonathan Mirvil, his mistakes will be magnified so do you go with a fourth-year player in Jason Lawson that hasn't played a lot but is, reputation wise, better in coverage? Where does true freshman David Daniel fit in at safety?

At the other safety spot, it looks like its going to come down to Brandon Benjamin and Jermaine Robertson. The coaching staff trusts Robertson and he's often on the field during obvious passing plays but as an every down safety, you lose a lot of physicality that Benjamin brings and that will need to be replaced with Paul Williams being gone.
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There's talent in the backfield, how will Calvin Magee manage it?
For a while, the Bulls had an embarrassing number of five and four stars at receiver that weren't producing, leading some of them to ultimately go elsewhere.

Calvin Magee will try to avoid that at running back as he now has three former five stars in Pookie Harrell, E.J. Thomas and Anthony Montgomery. Harrell is a bit of a proven commodity with 720 rushing yards last season and ten touchdowns while Thomas was one of the stars of the spring game. Montgomery has a long way to go and likely won't be an impact true freshman like his older brother Corey was.

What about Texas boys Ronnie Smith and Joe Marshall, two out of state three stars that could quickly get left by the wayside. Smith averaged six yards per carry last season and Marshall is entering his third season at USF with no carries to his name. An interesting athlete at six-foot-three with sub 4.5 speed, Marshall could jump ship if opportunities aren't given to him.
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It's the Byrd and Newsome show at outside receiver, can they handle it?
For the first time since Jason Barbour and Darius Downs, the Bulls know who they're two outside receivers are going to be down in and down out in Derrick Byrd and Pat Newsome. Byrd's production dropped in 2028 compared to his freshman season and while neither lit the world on fire, we at least know that they'll be given more opportunities to make their impact felt.

Will they turn around and give a James Harper type of season or pull a Ryan Wagner and drop a dud? We know Corey Montgomery is going to be uber productive in the slot but if the Bulls offense is going to be good, they'll need someone on the outside to show that coach Malcolm Francois Sr. and Jr. chose the right receivers to keep in the program.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Jul 2021, 14:22

Despite down year in the state of Florida and at quarterback, Bulls could three-peat as nation's top class
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

In back to back seasons, USF has landed the top recruiting class in the country and they've done so with outright star power, landing eleven five-stars in the last two classes.

They're off to a great start with commitments from five-star defensive end Aaron Spurlock, four-star offensive tackle Justin West and four-star wide receiver Brent Cunningham.

Spurlock is one of the top pass rushers in the country and a perfect fit for Pat Fitzgerald's four-man front with his versatility. At six-foot-five and 259 pounds, he has the frame to both set the edge against the run and also be able to get up the field as a pass rusher. Spurlock picked the Bulls over Alabama and Miami.

Offensively, West is the sixth ranked offensive tackle in the nation and continues the recent thread of recruiting the offensive line at a high level. His pass blocking techniques can be cleaned up but he's likely just two or three years away from being a viable starter in the SEC. Penn State and Clemson were also involved in the recruitment.

The lowest ranked commit so far, Cunningham is a speed burner and while his game is limited, he does it very well. Is he a true receiver or a bit of gimmick? Right now, he's a gadget player but head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. is one of the best talent developers at receiver. Cunningham cited this as a reason why he picked them over Maryland, Rutgers, South Carolina and Alabama.

Of the three commitments, only one of them -- Spurlock -- is from the state of Florida. Last season, there were ten players in the 247 Sports top 100 and this season, that number is down to eight. While not a big drop, USF isn't involved in any of their recruitment now that Spurlock is committed.

The other notable trend is the lack of a quarterback that the Bulls are zeroing now. This was also the case last season and in the end, USF punted at the position and didn't sign anyone. Are they going to end this season in a similar fashion with zero takes at the position?

2030 USF Recruiting Class
DE Aaron Spurlock [DE #3]: 6'5", 259lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | USF, Alabama, Miami
T Justin West [T #6]: 6'5", 288lbs | Pottsville, PA | 4-star | 4.96 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 645 Squat Max | USF, Clemson, Penn State
WR Brent Cunningham [WR #34]: 5'10", 176lbs | Waco, TX | 4-star | 4.34 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press Max, 330 Squat Max | USF, Maryland, Rutgers, South Carolina, Alabama

2030 USF Recruiting Board
OLB Adam Hughes [OLB #1]: 6'4", 230lbs | Redstone Arsenal, AL | 5-star | USF, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, Auburn
WR Chris Williams [WR #3]: 6'3", 214lbs | Juneau, AK | 5-star | USF, Rutgers, Alabama, Auburn, Notre Dame
HB/WR Courtney Lane [ATH #11]: 5'11", 213lbs | Chickasha, OK | 5-star | USF, Alabama, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Auburn
OLB Kelvin Davis [OLB #3]: 5'11", 211lbs | Dundalk, MD | 4-star | USF, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Michigan State
CB Kareem Hunter [CB #5]: 5'9", 175lbs | Front Royal, VA | 4-star | USF, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama
ILB Brent Pearson [ILB #9]: 6'0", 230lbs | Newport Beach, CA | 4-star | USF, Navy, UCLA, Texas, Minnesota
DE Shawn Bell [DE #21]: 6'4", 240lbs | Merrillville, IN | 4-star | USF, Florida, Auburn, Ohio State, Georgia
DE Jerome Powell [DE #24]: 6'3", 252lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | USF, Florida, Auburn, Michigan State, LSU
T Lance Williams [T #11]: 6'8", 324lbs | San Jose, CA | 4-star | USF, Minnesota, Navy, Michigan State, Oregon
T Luis Butler [T #14]: 6'5", 312lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Virginia Tech
G Zach Woods [G #18]: 6'3", 288lbs | Belvedere Park, GA | 4-star | USF, Clemson, Ole Miss, Navy, Georgia Tech
HB Roger Shaw [ATH #20]: 6'2", 218lbs | Alhambra, CA | 4-star | USF, Ole Miss, Florida State, Minnesota, Miami
K Joe Wilkerson [K #1]: 6'1", 185lbs | Brownsville, FL | 3-star | Texas, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, USF
P Adam Cain [P #5]: 6'4", 215lbs | Tamiami, FL | 3-star | Florida State, Florida, Miami, USF, Alabama

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Jul 2021, 15:14

Once high school rivals, Antonio Whitehead's biggest fan is Jean-Jacques Francois
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

USF tight end Jean-Jacques Francois upbringing was very different than that of redshirt sophomore quarterback Antonio Whitehead, yet the two seemed to always run into each other. Their schools were separated by twenty or so miles and in Tampa, that's an ocean. Their homes, their neighbors, the view from their porch were complete opposite.

While Francois was watching his father, USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr., hoist up his first ever BCS national championship trophy just a few feet away, Whitehead's father was hundreds of miles away on the road as a truck driver.

"I thought he was soft," Whitehead laughs when asked about the first time meeting Francois.

Whitehead was a rising sophomore and already had pegged the local program as his dream offer while Francois was heading into his junior season after leading Carrollwood Day to their first playoff appearance in a decade. They were at a tryout for Team Tampa, the top 7v7 squad in Hillsborough County. Despite playing sparingly at powerhouse Armwood as a true freshman, Whitehead was told by the powers at be at Team Tampa that he'd be the quarterback and the tryout was a formality. When Francois showed up and started throwing around with the receivers before the tryouts began, it rubbed Whitehead the wrong way and he left.

According to Whitehead, he left because he felt that because of who Francois' dad was, it wouldn't be a fair competition. He'd come to find out that Francois wasn't trying out at quarterback but at receiver, the position that college coaches wanted to see him at.

It was a missed opportunity for Whitehead to not only throw to one of the best athletes in the state but do it in front of the coach of his dream school.

"Instead of getting mad at myself, I got mad at him and I really, really didn't like him. We won state that year but when the local rankings came out about the top quarterbacks," says Whitehead, still seething a little bit, "They named him the top quarterback, top player in the state and that rubbed me all the way wrong."

The fact that Whitehead was at Armwood, a public school, and Francois at Carrollwood, a private school, kept them from ever playing against each other at the high school level. But there were plenty of opportunities on the 7v7 circuit for the rivalry to fester.

Whitehead ended up at South Florida Express, one of the top teams in the country. He rotated his first year but by year two, he was their full-time starter and beat Team Tampa three times in the span of seven weeks.

"I didn't like him at all," Francois says candidly of Whitehead, "That entire [Express team], they talk a lot of junk, a lot of it. [Whitehead] was hyping it up and being a Tampa guy, yeah, I felt some type of way about him going down there and playing with them, it bothered me for sure."

Francois committed to the Bulls a few months before the coaching staff at USF put the full court pressure on Whitehead, offering him and targeting him as the QB for their 2027 class. The rivalry had cooled off but throughout the recruitment process, the two never spoke until Whitehead actually signed with the Bulls. Francois sent him a private message on social media and since then, they've been inseparable.

"We both are high football IQ guys," says Whitehead, "We were able to build a bond pretty quickly and a lot of the other receivers were out of state guys or older guys that I didn't have that connection with. It'd be me, Derrick [Byrd] and Corey [Montgomery], the guys that I came in with, trying to find somewhere to get some reps in and we'd be going to high school stadiums and stuff like that. One day, [Francois] pulled me aside like 'yo, let's get some work in this weekend' and we went to his house and they have this big backyard with like a little football field and we've been going there ever since."

Francois remains impartial as the Bulls have yet to announce who the starting QB is going to be but it's clear that he's already got a connection with Whitehead.

"I'm fine with whoever is at quarterback," he says, "But I'm always going to be rooting for the home team."

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