Strength in Unity.

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Sep 2022, 11:17

USF listed among finalists for top recruits Bayless and Carter, in-state prospect Wile
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

The University of South Florida will have a hat on the table for four-star prospects offensive tackle Wally Bayless and cornerback Bryan Carter along with three-star tight end Landon Wile.

Bayless released an updated top three of USF, Utah State and Michigan State with many within the recruiting industry picking USF to land the California native after already landing two of Bayless' IMG teammates in Kyle Locher and Rahmod Carter and Bayless dropping Oregon from his list, which used to be the favorite to land the west coast talent. The Bulls have had a lot of success over the years recruiting at IMG but swung and missed on two offensive line prospects last cycle in Trumaine Williams and Matt Callahan.

The Bulls have a uphill climb with Carter who many expected to commit to Oregon by now but USF somehow made the top two for Carter over Colorado. The distance is still a concern for Carter, who was teammates with USF commit Noah Webster at Calabasas High School in California, so Oregon remains the Crystal Ball leader there although the Bulls are surging.

While Wile is the lowest ranked of the three, he might be one of the more important ones with Chris Wallace's graduation leaving the Bulls thin at tight end. UCF and Southern Miss also made the top three for Wile with USF seen as the overwhelming favorite.

2038 USF Recruiting Class
WR Joseph Moses [WR #1]: 6'2", 210lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | 4.50 40-yd dash, 335 Bench Press Max, 225 Squat Max
WR Alston Marks [WR #2]: 6'1", 202lbs | York, SC | 5-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 250 Bench Press Max, 275 Squat Max
S Michael Robinson [FS #1]: 6'2", 179lbs | Belle Glade, FL | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 360 Bench Press Max, 365 Squat Max
ILB Noah Webster [ILB #1]: 6'2", 220lbs | Calabasas, CA | 4-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 335 Bench Press Max, 655 Squat Max
G Woody Humphrey [G #1]: 6'1", 268lbs | North Druid Hills, GA | 4-star | 4.68 40-yd dash, 455 Bench Press Max, 680 Squat Max
S Kyle Locher [SS #1]: 6'3", 204lbs | Goodland, KS [IMG] | 4-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 330 Bench Press Max, 365 Squat Max
DT Rahmod Carter [DT #4]: 6'5", 298lbs | Kenosha, WI [IMG] | 4-star | 4.88 40-yd dash, 410 Bench Press Max, 545 Squat Max
CB K.J. Waters [CB #5]: 6'1", 161lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | 4.44 40-yd dash, 250 Bench Press Max, 275 Squat Max
DE Jesse Berrong [DE #14]: 6'2", 265lbs | Northridge, OH | 4-star | 4.72 40-yd dash, 390 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max
T Cole Britton [T #10]: 6'6", 288lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | 5.00 40-yd dash, 450 Bench Press Max, 640 Squat Max
QB Jet Millines [QB #5]: 6'3", 225lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | 4.50 40-yd dash, 235 Bench Press Max, 330 Squat Max
OLB Jackson Gold Jr. [OLB #22]: 5'11", 210lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | 4.76 40-yd dash, 400 Bench Press Max, 620 Squat Max
QB Jacob Venckus [QB #30]: 6'2", 210lbs | Shelby, MI | 3-star | 4.76 40-yd dash, 310 Bench Press Max, 250 Squat Max

2038 USF Recruiting Board
CB Bryan Carter [CB #3]: 6'1", 171lbs | Calabasas, CA | 4-star | Oregon, USF
T Wally Bayless [T #5]: 6'4", 275lbs | Milpitas, CA [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Utah State, Michigan State
TE Landon Wile [TE #11]: 6'3", 227lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | Southern Miss, USF, UCF
-------------
DE Jason Wilson [DE #9]: 6'2", 263lbs | Laurel, VA | 4-star | Committed to Navy
FB T.J. Dawson [FB #6]: 6'1", 236lbs | Miami, FL | 3-star | Committed to Nevada

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Sep 2022, 13:00

The comprehensive USF Bulls spring football preview
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

Since 2021, USF has won six national championships, including three in six seasons but they have yet to repeat. It'll be a tall task to do it this year with a new look roster, coaching staff and the Champions Division format which USF passed with flying colors last season but was still a formidable gauntlet.

The Bulls road to their seventh national championship, and first back to back, began on Friday with the beginning of spring practices. It'll be just helmets and then eventually shells before they go full-go.

Your in-depth spring game preview:

Top Candidates for No. 1 Jersey:

WR Maurice Bennett, Junior
Bennett was a top recruit, a local kid and was very productive as a true freshman before suffering a season ending injury. It took him a while to get his groove as a sophomore but he still finished the year with 35 receptions for 482 yards and two touchdowns.
-
WR Jarod Green, Senior
Green quietly outperformed Bennett last season despite being WR4 on the depth chart, catching a career high 41 passes for 575 yards and a touchdown after catching thirty passes in his first two seasons at USF. He dealt with drops later in the season, finishing the year with seven but he's generally their most reliable receiver, especially on third down
-
LB Brian Robinson, Senior
Even in the shadow of Clint Parker, Robinson was uber productive with fifteen tackles for loss and two sacks along with an interception. As the Bulls move to a 3-4 defense, he likely kicks inside and will be USF's Mike linebacker.

Top Candidates for No. 2 Jersey:

CB Tyler Matthews, Junior
He contributed as a true freshman before becoming a full-time starter as CB1 last year where he intercepted six passes and broke up seven more. He's USF's best defensive back and most accomplished one by far so it should be an easy decision.
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S Michael Robinson, Freshman
A dark horse nominee only because the coaching staff has been raving about him since he stepped foot on campus. Spring workouts are one thing and it remains to be seen if it translates onto on field success but from the initial reviews, Robinson is one of the better athletes the Bulls have ever had and could be a special player. A true freshman hasn't wore the No. 2 jersey in a very long time but if anyone were to do it, it might be Robinson who also plays with an edge.

Top Candidates for No. 4 Jersey:

HB Dionte McCarthy, Senior
A potential nominee for the No. 1 jersey as well, McCarthy raced Derek Young for the jersey last season and lost. It's traditionally given by the coaching staff based off spring and summer workouts but it was too close to call so a race settled it. McCarthy should be the favorite heading into the spring
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HB William Sapp, Sophomore
It's typically reserved for starters but Sapp was also in that race as a true freshman which was especially impressive. He didn't play much last season, just thirteen carries but being the son of the man that started the tradition, Franklin Sapp, William has an outside shot.

Projected Starters:
QB » Charlie Cooke, Sophomore

Perhaps the easiest position to project, Cooke was a five-star coming out and splashed onto the scene last season with his performance against Texas. Jared Chavis (RS Jr) should put up a fight and good competition but none of the verbiage heading into the spring suggests that this will be a lengthy quarterback battle by the time fall camps rolls around.

HB » Dionte McCarthy, Senior

Eric Valentine and William Sapp are two second-year players that were five stars but McCarthy was a talented recruit in his own right (former 4-star) and is quietly averaging 36.4 yards per game over the course of his career despite never being a full time starter.

WR » Maurice Bennett, Junior; D.J. Manning, Junior; Jarod Green, Senior

Manning caught just four passes last season but averaged 17.3 yards per reception with half of his yards coming after the catch. He has some of the best hands on the team and should have chemistry with Cooke as they were both on the scout team last season. Five-star true freshmen Alston Marks and Joseph Moses enrolled early and will take part in spring ball but Manning should be able to hold them off at least until mid way through the season where Marks and Moses might get bigger roles.

TE » Antoine Frank, Junior

Frank started a few games in 2036 when Chris Wallace dealt with some injuries, catching eighteen passes for 204 yards as a true freshman. He sparingly played last season and when USF went two tight ends, it was Obadiah Denman that got the snaps primarily. If Landon Wile (3-star signee) had enrolled in the spring, he could potential challenge them but for now, Frank should be the starter.

Offensive Line » LT Kyle Everett, Sophomore; LG Ed McKinney, Senior; C Leroy Richards, Junior; RG Chris Booker, Senior; RT Brandon Jones, RS Sophomore

USF brings back their entire starting unit outside of right tackle where it'll be a battle between Jones, redshirt sophomore Dane Clay and true freshman Cole Britton. Four-star offensive tackle Wally Bayless doesn't get on campus until the fall and interior linemen Adam Clemons is another option if they decide to kick him out to tackle.

Defensive Line » IDL David Richardson, Rs Sophomore; IDL Jordan Odom, Rs Senior; NT Michael Williams, Senior

Perhaps the thinnest unit on the team depth wise, there isn't much competition with this group except for Jesse Berrong potentially coming in as a true freshman and wowing coaches, pushing for a spot on the two-deep as a rotational piece at defensive end.

Linebacker » JACK Nicholas Holt, Rs Junior; MIKE Brian Robinson, Senior; WILL Alex McDaniel, Rs Sophomore; SAM Brett Freeman

Another weak unit heading into the spring with not a ton of depth and guys learning a new defense and scheme. Two sleepers to watch for are the two outside linebacker spots, Jack and Sam linebacker where true freshman Noah Webster and UAB transfer from last season Corey Caldwell have the build and athletic profile to play that position the best out of everyone on the roster as they're a bit thicker and more physical on tape.

Cornerback » Tyler Matthews, Junior; K.J. Waters, Freshman

Julius Hughes was a Freshman All-American but the coaches are extremely high on Waters who they think can come in and play right away. As talented as Hughes in, it wouldn't be surprise me if he ends up behind Bryan Carter as well once the four-star prospect gets on campus because him and Waters are just that talented especially Carter in man coverage.

Safety » Michael Robinson, Freshman; S Kyle Locher, Freshman*

Why the asterisk? Joey Bailey has been cross training at both safety and Will linebacker so if he stays at safety, he could potentially start there but if he makes the move to Will linebacker to add some depth to the LB room, Locher is the clear cut starter at safety as USF hasn't been shy before when it comes to starting two true freshmen at safety.

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Sep 2022, 13:10

Post by **Soapy** » 26 Sep 2022, 16:13

Jared Chavis, Charlie Cooke both got their chances with the first team offense in newly formatted spring game
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

For years under head coach Malcolm Francois Sr, USF's spring game has been pretty straight forward: the first team offense with the second team defense on one team, the first team defense with the second team offense on another for four ten minute quarters. On Saturday night, there were no scoreboards, no running clock, no set teams as the offense always wore white and the defense always wore green.

Unlike previous years, it was tough to see who was trending upwards and what the starting units would look like in a few months: just the way the USF coaching staff liked it, probably.

Still, there were some key takeaways from Saturday night at Raymond James.

Jared Chavis, Charlie Cooke both have hits, misses
Francois Jr. made it clear that nobody should read anything into which quarterback started first. That said, Jared Chavis went out with the first-team offensive line to start things off. He went 3-for-3 on a drive that ended with Dionte McCarthy’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Charlie Cooke’ first play was a deep throw for Jarod Green. They couldn’t connect for what would’ve been a 30-yard gain. The drive stalled out at the 26, and Mike Pleasant drilled a 44-yard field goal. Cooke went 1-for-5 on the drive with one ball thrown on a busted screen play.

Cooke got the nod on the third drive — and with the first-team offensive line — and quickly made two completions. Then he took a snap, drifted to his right and launched a 62-yard touchdown pass to five-star true freshman Alston Marks. Now this was everything Cooke’ fans hoped for.

Chavis would later get to show his stuff. On one drive, Chavis had a nice dump-off to McCarthy for a 20-yard gain. Then from the 6-yard line, Chavis took a shotgun snap and raced in for the score.

Cooke’ only real miscue was a bad throw over the middle that made for an easy interception by five-star true freshman safety Michael Robinson, who noticeably almost never came off the field.

Entering the spring, it was thought to be a foregone conclusion that Cooke would be the starter and while his dynamic arm makes him still the likely favorite, the USF coaching staff is at least still going through the motions of a legitimate quarterback battle. Nevertheless, it's still notable that last season, against Texas, it was Cooke who was called on as a true freshman in his second college game to replace the injured Joey Spence, not Chavis.

The offensive line got plenty of work
While there were no 'starters' according to Francois Jr, it was very clear who the first team unit was going to be with USF returning all but one starter along the offensive line. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Jones got the 'start' at right tackle with the rest of the first unit with Kyle Everett at left tackle, Ed McKinney at left guard, Leroy Richards at center and Chris Booker at right guard. For the third and fourth drive, Jones was replaced first by Adam Clemons and then true freshman Woody Humphrey, who also took snaps at left guard with the second unit and even took some first team snaps at right tackle when Jones went back in the game.

Humphrey was the standout of the second unit which primarily consisted of Courtney Ferguson and Brad Bonner along the interior with Humphrey and it was Clemons and Dane Clay swapping the tackle spots. It was noticeable that on the second unit, there was a lot of cross training as each series with Ferguson getting reps at both center and both guard spots with Ferguson and Humphrey also did.

The front seven is a work in progress
Even with the second unit, USF's offense dominated on the ground. New offensive coordinator Peter Nicholson pushed the tempo early on and appeared to have been told later in the game to slow it down as there were multiple plays where, for no apparent reason, the offense waited to snap the ball.

The tempo and the heat caused issues for USF's front seven which consisted of David Richardson, Corey Smith, Jordan Odom and true freshman Jesse Berrong rotating at defensive end and at nose tackle, it was particular thin with Michael Williams and Michal Langford playing the bulk of the games.

Sophomore safety Joey Bailey didn't play much in the box during the game after hearing all spring that he was working more and more with the linebackers. Bailey got the start at safety opposite of Robinson and USF stayed in a lot of shell coverage with two high safeties when Bailey was in the game. When they needed to slow down the running back, it was safeties Adrian Bolden and true freshman Kyle Locher that the Bulls brought into the box.

The starting unit appeared to be Nick Holt and Alex McDaniel as the two outside linebackers with Brian Robinson and Brett Freeman being the two off-ball, inside linebackers in defensive coordinator Trai Martinez's scheme. McDaniel and Freeman rotated throughout the game with McDaniel flashing mostly when he was on the outside and Freeman, listed at 212 pounds, did his best work when he was allowed to roam free instead of taking on blockers.

How did the freshmen look?
Frankly, it was a mixed bag.

Upperclassmen Jarod Green and D.J. Manning didn't have particularly good games while Maurice Bennett was solid which allowed for the handful of splash plays that Marks and Joseph Moses were able to put together stand out even more.

There were a few times, particularly with Cooke, that Marks and Moses weren't in sync with the quarterback, particularly a play where Cooke appeared to make some audibles at the line of scrimmage which resulted in both players, which were lined up next to each other in a bunch formation, running out routes to the same spot.

The physical talent is very evident with Marks and Moses and the same could be said for Jet Millines who got a few snaps towards the end of the day but like the receivers, Millines had a couple of head scratching decisions, particularly a sequence of plays where it looked like the running back, William Sapp, was expecting to get the ball handed it off to him while Millines dropped back for a pass.

Defensive tackle Rahmod Carter had a really tough day as he whenever he lined up against the first team offensive line, the drop off between him and Williams was very evident as he got pushed around. Offensive tackle Cole Britton also had a tough day, getting beat for two sacks and got a play blown up by David Richardson on fourth and four on a speed option to the outside with Millines.

The star of the night, however, among the freshmen was Michael Robinson who might have been USF's best defensive player. He intercepted a pass and finished with six tackles, often coming down from his safety spot to deliver physical hits that jarred the ball loose on two occasions, although both recovered by the defense.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Sep 2022, 07:35

For USF's Maurice Bennett, the No. 1 jersey is a challenge, not an honor
Sean Caesar -- The Athletic Writer

It was at the end of a summer workout that USF junior receiver Maurice Bennett, the former No. 1 recruit in the country, walked into the football locker room and noticed the coveted No. 1 jersey hanging in front of his locker. There were no speeches, no cameras, no fanfare outside of his teammates congratulating him: just the way he would prefer it.

Bennett is the latest USF player to be selected to wear the No. 1 jersey, a tradition that has lasted through decades where the coaching staff and former players that have worn that jersey get together and elect a player. It's typically done at the end of the spring game or sometime in fall camp with usually a ceremony and a hype video but it was lowkey this time around, perfectly fitting for the Bulls receiver.

"I'm not really into all of that talking stuff," says Bennett, whose freshman season was cut short by an injury that saw his production decline last year as as he recovered fully from it, "You line up and you play and you do that over and over again, that's what I care about and that's what I look forward to. For me, that jersey doesn't celebrate anything I've done because I haven't done enough to wear that jersey, to get to be that guy so it's a challenge, it's setting even higher expectations for myself and that's something I'm with."

He'll have plenty of chances to have a bounce back season with USF losing its top four receivers to graduation and the draft. The Bulls added two five star receivers from the latest freshmen class in Alston Marks and Joseph Moses but throughout the spring, the one constant on offense was Bennett who rarely came off the field with the first team unit during the spring game.

"He's an extremely diligent player," says head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. who also doubles as Bennett's position coach, "I think when you have a guy [like Bennett] that's so precise and you're coming back from injury, there's a lot of frustrations because it takes a moment to adjust. He needs to let the game come to him more and he's been getting better at that, not pressing so much and not thinking, just playing. I think he can easily catch 100 balls for us, he's that type of player."

USF junior cornerback Tyler Matthews was awarded the No. 2 jersey, typically given to the team's best defensive back and senior running back Dionte McCarthy will wear the No. 4 jersey which is given to the team's fastest and most explosive player.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Sep 2022, 08:46

Even with roster and staff turnover, championship or bust is still the mentality at USF
Adriana Castillo -- usfwire.usatoday.com

USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. completed his 25th season with the Bulls last season, winning his sixth national championship to join an elite company of head coaches that have done so and widening the gap between him and Alabama's Kevin Sherrer (3), the only active head coach to have won multiple national championships.

Francois Sr. and USF will try to get to lucky number seven this season even with a new set of coordinators and a ton of roster turnover.

Ten Best USF Players
1. CB Tyler Matthews, Junior
2. G Ed McKinney, Senior
3. G Chris Booker, Senior
4. WR Maurice Bennett, Junior
5. LB Brian Robinson, Senior
6. WR Jarod Green, Senior
7. HB Dionte McCarthy, Senior
8. C Leroy Richards, Junior
9. LT Kyle Everett, Sophomore
10. CB Julius Hughes, Sophomore

Schedule
Aug. 28 vs. #13 Florida (blackout game)
Sep. 4 at #11 Miami (night game)
Sep. 11 vs. #17 South Alabama
Sep. 18 at LSU
OPEN
Oct. 2 vs. #4 Alabama (homecoming)
Oct. 9 at #21 Tennessee
Oct. 16 vs. #5 Texas
OPEN
Oct. 30 vs. #10 Georgia Tech
Nov. 6 vs. Clemson
Nov. 13 at #18 Missouri
Nov. 20 at #20 Penn State
Nov. 26 vs. UCF (Senior Night)

Preseason All-Americans
CB Tyler Matthews, Junior (first team)
LB Brian Robinson, Senior (second team)

Preseason All-Champions Division
LB Brian Robinson, Senior (first team)
CB Tyler Matthews, Junior (first team)
G Chris Booker, Senior (second team)

What to watch for on offense: Charlie Cooke looked really comfortable in Jeremy Butler's offense, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the win against Texas when he replaced the injured Joey Spence.

Cooke is now in a quarterback battle with Jared Chavis -- where he is the favorite to emerge -- as they both learn a new offense under offensive coordinator Peter Nicholson. If Cooke is named the starter, his comfort level in the new offense will be something to monitor as USF opens the season against Florida in primetime and then travel to Miami for a night game that could be a ruckus environment.

What to watch for on defense: USF lost its best players in the secondary from last season in Wesley Adams, the unquestioned leader of the defense, along with running mate Mark Robinson at safety as well as the team's top corner in Kenny Fowler.

They are moving to a base 3-4 defense which they played some last season but also lost a ton of talent up front personnel wise that allowed them to play that look so with a new secondary and a new front seven, it's changes all around this USF defense with a new defensive coordinator as well.

The team will be far better if... the running game is able to set the tone. USF struggled to run the ball early in the season and then eventually found their groove, particularly using Derek Young more and more out of the backfield. The strength of the team is their veteran offensive line which returns four starters so if they can get Dionte McCarthy going early in the season, it should help stabilized the offense and help the defense out with time of possession and ball control.

The Schedule: It's called the Champions Division for a reason and with Miami added as an OOC opponent, the Bulls open the season with three straight ranked opponents (Florida, Miami, South Alabama) before making a trip to Baton Rouge to play a very talented LSU team that is looking to make their mark following the promotion.

The schedule doesn't let up after that as USF only plays two unranked opponents after that, Clemson and UCF with matchups against two top five teams in Alabama and Texas in the span of three weeks, both at home.

Best offensive player: After having bonafide stars the past few seasons, the skill talent is intriguing but not quite proven. It's not a sexy answer but it's likely one of the guards, either Ed McKinney or Chris Booker.

Best defensive player: The only pre-season first team All-American on the roster, cornerback Tyler Matthews.

Key players to a successful season: Quarterback aside, it's likely Maurice Bennett or Dionte McCarthy as the team is desperately looking for a replacement for both Derek Young and Jason McDowell who could shift momentum quickly with their big play ability.

Defensively, someone from the front seven outside of Brian Robinson will need to step up, particularly up front. Redshirt sophomore David Richardson is a legacy player, the son of USF linebacker Shelton Richardson who was great during his time with the Bulls. A former four-star recruit, Richardson had two sacks last season and will need to take another step this season.

The season will be a success if...USF is in the race for the East Region title late in the year.

Key game: After surviving being relegated, the Hurricanes are a very talented team that USF will need to be careful about when they travel into Miami so early into the season with a new staff while the Hurricanes are returning much of their roster and staff. By the meat of the season, the Bulls should be stabilized but early in the season is where they are the most vulnerable.

Game by Game Predictions
Aug. 28 vs. #13 Florida: W
Sep. 4 at #11 Miami: W
Sep. 11 vs. #17 South Alabama: W
Sep. 18 at LSU: W
OPEN
Oct. 2 vs. #4 Alabama: L
Oct. 9 at #21 Tennessee: W
Oct. 16 vs. #5 Texas: W
OPEN
Oct. 30 vs. #10 Georgia Tech: W
Nov. 6 vs. Clemson: W
Nov. 13 at #18 Missouri: W
Nov. 20 at #20 Penn State: L
Nov. 26 vs. UCF: W

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Sep 2022, 09:33

South Florida Bulls open fall camp for 2038 season
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

South Florida opens fall football practice on Friday, in preparation for its 26th season under head coach Malcolm Francois Sr.

The Bulls went undefeated in 2037, winning their sixth national championship under Francois Sr. and their first ever in the Champions Division era. USF lost a ton of talent to the draft and graduation along with losing its top two assistants in coordinators Jeremy Butler and Gary Prince accepting head coaching jobs elsewhere.

Here are the biggest storylines heading into camp at each positional group:

Is it a quarterback competition or a manufactured one?
If you spoke to anyone within and around the program last season coming out of fall camp after Charlie Cooke had arrived in the summer, it was clear that Cooke was the heir apparent to Joey Spence. Jared Chavis was named backup in name only an it was proven to be the case when Spence got hurt and replacing him was Cooke, not Chavis, in Cooke's second ever college football game where he beat a very good Texas team.

The tone quickly changed when Peter Nicholson arrived, replacing Butler as the team's OC and quarterbacks coach. Nicholson made it clear it would be a quarterback battle and Francois Sr. has echoed similar statement.

When watching Chavis and Cooke throw, it's very hard to come up with a compelling argument that Chavis is better although he has greatly improved over the years. The offensive operations do seem to run smoother with Chavis at the helm, particularly when Nicholson went no huddle in the spring game. With Cooke at helm, there seemed to be breakdown in communications a few time.

Chavis has thrown nine career passes in three seasons at USF, redshirting as a true freshman and didn't play at all last season making Cooke, despite being younger, the more experienced and talented player.

Who is the second one out of the gate behind McCarthy?
Dionte McCarthy has looked explosive and like a potential star throughout the spring behind an offensive line that has really improved in the running game. There's no questions there as he'll be their lead back and probably be the first Bulls running back since Roger Shaw Jr. to not split a ton of carries as even Bobby Jackson got spelled a bunch.

The only question is who is RB2 as it's a competition between two five star running backs in Eric Valentine and William Sapp that had forgettable true freshmen seasons. Valentine fumbled two times but did score four times last season, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Sapp was good in small doses with only thirteen carries, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

Finding WR3 behind Maurice Bennett and Jarod Green
Francois Sr. has made it clear that the X receiver is going to be Bennett and that the three five-stars -- junior D.J. Manning, freshmen Joseph Moses and Alston Marks -- will cross train at both Z receiver and also as Jarod Green's backup in the slot.

A former top two recruit, Manning has caught just fifteen passes in two seasons at USF but the talent is there as he averaged 17.3 yards per reception last season in the four games that he played. He's probably got the most 'wiggle' of the three, making him perhaps their best option in the slot outside of Green.

With the two true freshmen, it's a matter of who will become more dependable. Marks had the better spring game but Moses had the better spring practices and they will both have the opportunity to separate from the pack throughout fall camp.

Who steps up at tight end to try to replace Chris Wallace?
A lot of people on USF's coaching staff entered the spring extremely high on Antoine Frank but he didn't even get the start during the spring game as it was Jason White who got most snaps with the first team offensive line.

Landon Wile, a three-star prospect, joins a tight end group that is void of high end talent following Chris Wallace's graduation. No one will replace Wallace for years to come -- maybe ever -- and the talent level on the roster is far from elite as they are all three and two-star prospects that are more projects and depth guys.

Does USF start a true freshman at offensive tackle once more?
Kyle Everett beat out Dave Riley to be the team's starting left tackle as a true freshman despite arriving in the summer and missing spring practices. Wally Bayless, a four-star prospect like Everett, will try to do that this season at right tackle as veterans Brandon Jones, Adam Clemons and Dane Clay failed to lock up the position in the spring.

Right tackle is the only question mark on the offensive line as they return the other four starters on a unit that really started to find it's groove as the season went along. Keep an eye on Clemons as he's a powerful athlete and probably their best 'people mover' but he can struggle with hand placement and knowing his assignment.

Will these square pegs ever fit into the round holes?
USF has primarily been an attacking, aggressive style defense these past few seasons with a lot of four-down linemen looks. Gary Prince added some variety to USF's defense since taking it over for the past two seasons but that's because USF had the personnel, particularly at defensive tackle, to be able to play three of them at the same time whenever USF wanted to go with a heavy look up front.

Defensive tackle is thin with not a single player on the roster with a start to their name. The Bulls will need to rely a lot on Michael Williams, whose been a career backup and a bit of disappointment since his enrollment at USF. Quite frankly, they don't have a lot of options at nose tackle and at defensive end, it's a lot of edge rushers in David Richardson and Cory Smith that are going to be trying to make the transition to five-techniques and being gap sound.

New faces and old ones trying to find their spot in this new defense
The Bulls did a lot of cross training at linebacker with players, outside of Brian Robinson, playing multiple positions from outside linebacker which is essentially a stand-up edge rusher to the inside linebacker spot, WILL, next to Robinson.

The rotation seems to be getting finalized with Brett Freeman, who came to USF as a hybrid safety/linebacker finding his groove at WILL as did safety Adrian Bolden, who is now officially listed on USF's roster as a linebacker.

On the outside, it's former inside linebacker Alex McDaniel who got the 'start' in the spring game and showed flashes of his playmaking ability as did Nick Holt and true freshman Noah Webster. Webster was an inside linebacker in high school but the Bulls seem to be testing the waters with him on the outside as he's probably their most natural pass rusher out of the bunch.

The future is bright in the secondary
True freshman Bryan Carter was a standout during summer workouts and during player led 7-on-7 competitions, Carter was reportedly one of USF's best corners, often outplaying All-American Tyler Matthews and was the defense's best matchup against Maurice Bennett.

Carter could be one of three freshmen to start in the secondary with Michael Robinson running away with one of the safety spots following an impressive spring while Kyle Locher continues to duke it out with sophomore Joey Bailey for the other safety spot.

A name to not forget is K.J. Waters who shined in the spring and took advantage of Carter not enrolling until the summer and has likely leap frogged Cody Fuller on the depth chart. Julius Hughes is another name to remember as he started all of last season at corner and was a Freshman All-American. He didn't really flash in the spring but he's firmly in competition with Carter and Waters to be USF's CB2 behind Matthews.

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Sep 2022, 09:54

Local defensive ends Ramon Hall and Kareem Cunningham commit to Bulls during Green and Gold Bash
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

Four-star defensive end Ramon Hall and three-star defensive end Kareem Cunningham, both Tampa natives, committed to the University of South Florida on Saturday during the Green and Gold Bash.

The event featured many of the top recruits and local prospects coming on campus for an unofficial visit followed by a scrimmage that was closed to the media but open to recruits and their families. Hall and Cunningham announced their commitment in the afternoon leading into the scrimmage.

Both prospects fit the style of defense that Trai Martinez, USF's new defensive coordinator, is trying to install. Cunningham and Hall can both play the five-technique in Martinez's 3-4 defense with Cunningham, if he continues to fill out, having the potential to even be a nose tackle at six-foot-six and 266 pounds. While just a three-star, Cunningham's list of offers was impressive as it included LSU, Florida, North Carolina ad Iowa.

USF battled out USC, Michigan State, Clemson, Ole Miss and UCF for Hall's commitment who is the younger half-brother of former UCF nose tackle Greg Hall.

2039 USF Recruiting Class
DE Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
DE Kareem Cunningham [DE #69]: 6'6", 266lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 375 Bench Press Max, 560 Squat Max

2039 USF Recruiting Board
HB Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | USF, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Miami
WR Brooks Coe [WR #31]: 6'4", 195lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | FAU, USF, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Ole Miss
TE Jermaine Johnson [TE #5]: 6'4", 254lbs | Sans Souci, SC [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Navy, Tennessee, Florida State, Florida
TE Jeff Rutledge [TE #10]: 6'5", 254lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | USF, Miami, FAU, UCF, Florida State
T Garrett McTaggart [T #2]: 6'4", 309lbs | San Antonio, TX | 4-star | USF, Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech
OLB E.J. Young [OLB #3]: 6'5", 242lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | Florida, Florida State, Miami, Alabama, USF
G Joe Weisbecker [G #4]: 6'2", 280lbs | Rosedale, MD | 4-star | USF, Oregon, Stanford, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech
G Ray Anderson [G #5]: 6'3", 266lbs | Scottdale, GA | 4-star | USF, Clemson, Georgia, NC State, Florida
G Steve Bailey [G #8]: 6'5", 311lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, FAU, FIU, UCF, Clemson
ILB Joel Espinosa [ILB #4]: 5'9", 228lbs | Manchester, IA [IMG] | 4-star | USF, Missouri, Miami, Michigan State, Navy
CB Travis Jones [CB #10]: 5'11", 167lbs | Marion, SC | 4-star | USF, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Ohio State, Missouri
CB Anthony Gunn [CB #16]: 6'1", 182lbs | Atlanta, GA | 3-star | USF, Clemson, Fresno State
DT Brent Lawrence [DT #5]: 6'3", 275lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | USF, Clemson, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M
ILB Talanoa Langi [ILB #16]: 6'1", 238lbs | Nanakuli, HI [IMG] | 3-star | USF, Missouri, Colorado, Virginia Tech
OLB Erik Wheeler [OLB #66]: 6'2", 211lbs | La Porte, TX | 3-star | USF, Michigan State, Penn State, Ole Miss, Missouri
K Chris Sanders [K #7]: 5'10", 180lbs | Pompano Beach, FL | 3-star | Texas, Alabama, USC, Oklahoma, USF
P Gerald Wallace [P #6]: 6'2", 199lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 3-star | Southern Mississippi, USF, Miami, Clemson

Post by **Google[Bot]** » 27 Sep 2022, 10:17

gotta update that season recaps page. only showing 4 ships

Post by **Soapy** » 27 Sep 2022, 10:42

mvp wrote: ↑
27 Sep 2022, 10:17
gotta update that season recaps page. only showing 4 ships

yeah im a few seasons behind on the entire front page, it's a bit of work to update them once you fall behind :fml:

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