Strength in Unity.

[Soapy]

Juniors Richards and Matthews latest to announce entry into the NFL Draft
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF starting center Leroy Richards and starting cornerback Tyler Matthews, both juniors, have announced in separate social media postings that they will be declaring for the NFL Draft as was widely expected.

Richards is a two-year starter for the Bulls, making All-Champions Division selection in both seasons and was an All-American this season. He surrendered just two sacks according to Pro Football Focus in his 29 starts for the Bulls.

Matthews was also an All American selection at corner for the past two seasons, recording six interceptions as a sophomore. Matthews had another promising junior season which could potentially earn him a spot in the first round.

2038 Players Leaving » Career Stats
#3 Jared Chavis (QB, Rs Junior): Declared Early » 404 of 552, 4956 yards, 40 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, sacked 30 times, 161 carries, 528 yards, 4 touchdowns, 8 fumbles
#2 Tyler Matthews (CB, Junior): Declared Early » 131 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 8 interceptions, 15 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles
#63 C Leroy Richards (C, Junior): Declared Early » 21 pancakes, 2 sacks allowed
#12 Charlie Cooke (QB, Sophomore): Transfer (UCF) » 40 of 65, 450 yards, 5 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 18 carries, 70 yards

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Bulls OC search proving to be difficult as Jeremy Butler hired by UAB
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

It's very rarely that USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. doesn't land a recruit -- or a coach -- that he really wants. Such was the case with former USF offensive coordinator and former Charlotte head coach Jeremy Butler who was hired by UAB to be their head coach just hours after being on campus for a visit with Francois Sr.

Butler was the team's offensive coordinator in 2037 before taking the head coaching job at Charlotte where he went 2-10 and was fired after just one season. Butler is the latest swing and miss by Francois Sr. and USF to replace offensive coordinator Peter Nicholson. USF was also highly interested in Brandon Pierre who took the head coaching job at Tulsa.

USF then interviewed Earvin Singletary, former Nebraska head coach, who was hired by Texas Tech for the same role and Kent State offensive coordinator Ryan Day who was hired by Tulane as their head coach. While this is a sign that the Bulls are targeting the right people that are highly viewed by the rest of the coaching world, options are getting slimmer by the day to the point that an internal source within the program has said that Francois Sr. calling the plays in 2039 and serving as de-facto offensive coordinator is not out of the question at this point.

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Former USF quarterback Charlie Cooke's messages leaked following spat with now ex-girlfriend
Jesse With The Tea -- Black Sports Online Contributor

Former USF quarterback Charlie Cooke is under fire after his text messages to a group chat were leaked by someone on social media that appears to be his ex-girlfriend.

While the initial screenshots of messages were related to Cooke's apparent infidelity to said ex-girlfriend, some of Cooke's teammates caught a stray in some of them which caused a stir. In a message to a group chat, Cooke is shown as saying:

bro they all just want him because he's black lmao there's no way they think he's a better qb than me

Based on the date of the messages and the context, it's fair to deduce that Cooke is potentially referring to the quarterback competition between himself, eventual starter Jared Chavis and Jet Millines who are both black quarterbacks. Chavis was named the starter and midway through the season, Cooke to a leave of absence from the team prior to transferring to UCF which led many to wonder if this was the cause which some USF players couldn't wait to confirm.

USF offensive lineman Chris Booker commented under a post which called Cooke a racist: "yeah that's why coach sent his bitch ass away, some people just fake like they fuck with us but they really not, gotta be careful with them type of people"

Booker's comment was reposted by several USF players, including Chavis and Millines.

Cooke, UCF nor USF have released an official statement regarding this.

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Bulls hire Tampa native, UL offensive coordinator DeMarcus Bennett to be OC
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

The University of South Florida has hired University of Louisiana DeMarcus Bennett to be their offensive coordinator, replacing Peter Nicholson who took the head coaching job at Missouri.

After some early swing and misses in the process, the Bulls narrowed in on Bennett, Ohio State's Andy Goddard and Colorado State's Shelton Porter with Bennett's Air Raid style of offense intriguing USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. enough to pull the trigger.

Bennett, a Tampa native who is the uncle of USF receiver Maurice Bennett, was a college quarterback at Kansas where he was a long-time assistant following graduation before taking the OC job at UL.

Bennett's offense finished 2nd in the Sun Belt in total offense, passing offense, scoring and 5th in rushing offense. Redshirt senior J.P. Bratton, who was a first time starter, averaged 259.9 passing yards per game with a 69.5 completion percentage and 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Louisiana's top two running backs, Nelson Buckley and Jay Harris, both averaged over 5.8 yards per carry.

During an interview last season regarding his offense, Bennett cited former USF offensive coordinator Malcolm Francois Jr. as his biggest inspiration and that the offense he brought to UL Lafayette carried a lot of the same principles as Francois Jr's record breaking offense at USF.

USF also replaced special teams coordinator Shelton Kent, who went on to become the head coach at NC State, with former USF tight end Buck Burns whose bee on the staff's recruiting department since 2035. Burns joins Taylor Fletcher, Ray Hill and Richard Miller as former Bulls on the staff along with head coach Malcolm Francois Sr.

2039 USF Coaching Staff
Head Coach/WR Coach: Malcolm Francois (27th year)
Associate Head Coach/OL Coach: Jim Michalczik (21st year)
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach: DeMarcus Bennett (1st year)
Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker Coach: Trai Martinez (2nd year)
Defensive Line Coach: Taylor Fletcher (2nd yr in role, 8th with program)
Cornerbacks Coach: Ray Hill (4th yr in role, 7th with program)
Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach: Buck Burns (1st year in role, 5th with program)
RB Coach: Richard Miller (3rd year)
Safeties Coach: Ty Maddox (4th yr in role, 6th with program)
Nickels Coach: Derrick Brown (4th yr in role, 5th with program)

Notable Head Coaching Changes
BYU :: Donald Miller replaces Isaiah Shields (retired)
Clemson :: Kevin Brown replaces Zach Newberry (fired)
Colorado :: Jim Hardin replaces Jeremy Walker (retired)
Iowa :: Thomas Morris replaces Dave Harris (fired)
Missouri :: Peter Nicholson replaces Brandon Pierre (fired)
NC State :: Shelton Kent replaces John Butler (fired)
Nebraska :: Anthony Clark replaces Earvin Singletary
UCLA :: Gary Prince replaces Eric Morris (fired)
West Virginia :: Eric Alexander replaces Gary Prince (fired)

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Bennett returns to play for uncle while Manning heads to the draft for USF
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF junior receiver D.J. Manning has declared for the draft, foregoing his senior season at USF.

A former five-star, Manning put up career numbers this past season with Manning finishing second on the team with 1,034 yards and eleven touchdowns. Manning sparingly played his first two seasons, recording fifteen receptions during that time span before expanding his role this season, finishing the year with 66 receptions. He'll be an interesting study case in the evaluation process as he's a talented receiver but wasn't very productive at USF.

Another former five-star receiver in Maurice Bennett returning for his senior season, opting to play for his uncle DeMarcus Bennett who was recently hired as the team's offensive coordinator from UL-Lafayette.

2038 Players Leaving » Career Stats
#3 Jared Chavis (QB, Rs Junior): Declared Early » 404 of 552, 4956 yards, 40 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, sacked 30 times, 161 carries, 528 yards, 4 touchdowns, 8 fumbles
#2 Tyler Matthews (CB, Junior): Declared Early » 131 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 8 interceptions, 15 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles
#63 Leroy Richards (C, Junior): Declared Early » 21 pancakes, 2 sacks allowed
#18 D.J. Manning (WR, Junior): Declared Early » 81 receptions, 1185 yards, 11 touchdowns
#12 Charlie Cooke (QB, Sophomore): Transfer (UCF) » 40 of 65, 450 yards, 5 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 18 carries, 70 yards
#79 Chris Booker (G, Senior): Pro Draft » 20 pancakes, 11 sacks allowed
#62 Ed McKinney (G, Senior): Pro Draft » 50 pancakes, 11 sacks allowed
#53 Brian Robinson (LB, Senior): Graduation » 184 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, 4 pass breakups, 5 forced fumbles, fumble recovery
#93 Jordan Odom (DE, Rs Senior): Pro Draft » 68 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, forced fumble
#88 Jarod Green (WR, Senior): Pro Draft » 167 receptions, 2374 yards, 15 touchdowns
#37 Mike Pleasant (K, Senior): Graduation » 35 of 52 FG, FG Lng of 53, 100% XP
#46 Stanley Durbin (P, Senior): Graduation » 107 punts, 36.7 Net Avg, 72 Longest Punt, 31 inside the 20, 12 touchbacks
#4 Dionte McCarthy (HB, Senior): Graduation » 360 carries, 2215 yards, 22 touchdowns, 73 receptions, 608 yards, 2 touchdowns
#91 Michael Williams (DT, Senior): Graduation » 43 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8 sacks
#74 Courtney Ferguson (G, Senior): Graduation » No stats

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National Signing Day Preview: Bulls hoping to close strong with a few more key signing
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

The University of South Florida's recruiting class is currently ranked fifth in the nation behind Alabama, USC, Minnesota and Oklahoma. The Bulls could finish within the top three, and perhaps even the two, with a strong finish on National Signing Day.

The top name to watch is four-star offensive tackle Garrett McTaggart out of San Antonio, Texas. McTaggart has offers from Georgia Tech, Texas and Alabama but Ole Miss and the Bulls were the two finalists that he announced back in December. The Rebels and the Bulls have battled it out throughout most of this cycle with Ole Miss gaining steam towards the end of the season and is the current Crystal Ball leader.

USF signed two offensive tackles last cycle that were four-star recruits in Wally Bayless and Cole Britton and the year before that, they signed another four-star recruit in Kyle Everett that started as a true freshman and earned All-Champions Division honors this past season. Even with a returning starter in right tackle Melvin Sutton, McTaggart has a much better shot at starting right away at Ole Miss which could cause them to have the edge over the Bulls.

The other four-star recruit on the board is Jeff Rutledge, the Miami four-star tight end that is considering USF and the hometown Hurricanes. Rutledge could potentially contribute right away as USF has struggled on the trail when it comes to landing top tight ends since landing five-star Chris Wallace a few cycles ago. They swung and missed on another South Florida tight end prospect in Maurice McIntyre two cycles ago with McIntyre ending in Clemson. The Hurricanes were also in that recruitment and will be looking to close this time around.

While three-star linebacker Talanoa Langi is not a blue-chip recruit, he's certainly one to keep and eye on as he's started at IMG for the past two seasons and is a physically impressive athlete at six-foot-one, nearly 240 pounds with a verified 40-time in the low 4.6 as an inside linebacker. The allure of being closer to home is appealing to Langi who is originally from Hawaii so Colorado is a major player in here but it's hard to see them beating out USF if they really want him.

Two late adds to the board are receiver Tracy Brooks and quarterback Joey Zeigler. Zeigler is an impressive athlete with 4.62 on the lasers as a junior and Brooks is one of the fastest players in the state of Alabama with a 4.34 forty time at six-foot-four. Wake Forest and NC State are involved there but haven't offered while with Zeigler, the only question is if he'll walk on at Syracuse, where his father is the OC.

2039 USF Recruiting Class
HB Kellen Wright [HB #4]: 5'8", 190lbs | Tampa, FL [IMG] | 5-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 270 Bench Press Max, 325 Squat Max
DE Ramon Hall [DE #5]: 6'2", 246lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
OLB E.J. Young [OLB #3]: 6'5", 242lbs | Miami, FL | 4-star | 4.70 40-yd dash, 430 Bench Pres Max, 580 Squat Max
DT Brent Lawrence [DT #5]: 6'3", 275lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 5.08 40-yd dash, 460 Bench Press Max, 570 Squat Max
ILB Joel Espinosa [ILB #4]: 5'9", 228lbs | Manchester, IA [IMG] | 4-star | 4.58 40-yd dash, 420 Bench Press Max, 580 Squat Max
G Ray Anderson [G #5]: 6'3", 266lbs | Scottdale, GA | 4-star | 4.84 40-yd dash, 470 Bench Press Max, 585 Squat Max
WR Brooks Coe [WR #31]: 6'4", 195lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 4-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 245 Bench Press Max, 225 Squat Max
G Steve Bailey [G #8]: 6'5", 311lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.72 40-yd dash, 435 Bench Press Max, 595 Squat Max
CB Travis Jones [CB #10]: 5'11", 167lbs | Marion, SC | 4-star | 4.54 40-yd dash, 340 Bench Press Max, 270 Squat Max
CB Anthony Gunn [CB #16]: 6'1", 182lbs | Atlanta, GA | 3-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 215 Bench Press Max, 270 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
OLB Erik Wheeler [OLB #66]: 6'2", 211lbs | La Porte, TX | 3-star | 4.66 40-yd dash, 370 Bench Press Max, 580 Squat Max
K Chris Sanders [K #7]: 5'10", 180lbs | Pompano Beach, FL | 3-star | 4.64 40-yd dash, 255 Bench Press Max, 280 Squat Max
P Gerald Wallace [P #6]: 6'2", 199lbs | West Palm Beach, FL | 3-star | 4.82 40-yd dash, 225 Bench Press Max, 290 Squat Max

2039 USF Recruiting Board
TE Jeff Rutledge [TE #10]: 6'5", 254lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 4-star | Miami, USF
T Garrett McTaggart [T #2]: 6'4", 309lbs | San Antonio, TX | 4-star | USF, Ole Miss
ILB Talanoa Langi [ILB #16]: 6'1", 238lbs | Nanakuli, HI [IMG] | 3-star | USF, Colorado
QB Joey Zeigler [QB #72]: 6'2", 221lbs | South Augusta, GA | 3-star | USF, Syracuse
WR Tracy Brooks [WR #62]: 6'4", 213lbs | Vestavia Hills, AL | 3-star | Wake Forest, USF, NC State
--------------------
G Joe Weisbecker [G #4]: 6'2", 280lbs | Rosedale, MD | 4-star | Committed to Ole Miss
TE Jermaine Johnson [TE #5]: 6'4", 254lbs | Sans Souci, SC [IMG] | 4-star | Committed to Navy

[Google[Bot]]

that season was a breeze

[Agent]

the ‘cism

[Soapy]

that season was a breeze

16 games ain't no joke brah im not gonna lie, both Alabama games, the Georgia Tech game and the USC game was touch and go for a while there

the ‘cism

man said reverse racism

[Soapy]

USF Football: Bulls' 2039 Spring Football Preview
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

With the 2038 national championship now widely disputed due to the Champions Division format, the University of South Florida will embark on their next campaign to either win back-to-back championships according some or complete the three-peat, something they've never done before and a rare feat in college football or any sports.

They'll need to do so with a new offensive coordinator and system, a new quarterback, without their top receiver from last season, without their top three offensive linemen, their top two defensive linemen, their top linebacker and their best cornerback. So as spring practice opens, USF begins the pursuit of significant history with a ton of questions to answer.

5 Storylines to Watch During USF's Spring Practice
1. Rebuilding the offensive line
Depending who you ask or which metrics you prefer, USF's offensive line was either a hinderance to the Bulls offense or a strength of theirs but ultimately, four of the five starters ended up earning All-Champions selections while center Leroy Richards and both guards Chris Booker and Ed McKinney were All-American selections. Booker and McKinney graduated while Richards declared for the draft leaving USF with not only three spots to fill on their offensive line but also replace their best players in that unit.

Kyle Everett and Adam Clemons, the bookend tackles, return after solid year last season where Everett did land an All-Champions selection but struggled at times in pass blocking while Clemons, a former five-star, seems to be headed in the right direction after struggling to get on the field his first few seasons. Internally, the Bulls coaching still still expect a lot more from both players and they'll need to raise their level of play this season to help establish the ceiling of this group.

Rising sophomore Woody Humphrey started two games last season at right guard in place of the injured Booker and held his own, making him the top candidate to potentially get the start there. At center, the picking are slim with Brad Bonner the only scholarship center on the roster although true freshman Ray Anderson and Steve Bailey have some positional versatility that could throw them in the mix there as well. Whichever combination works between Bonner, Anderson and Bailey are the likely starters at guard and center.

Another name to watch is Wally Bayless, the four-star from last season who played a bit here and there. A physically impressive sophomore, he could push Everett and Clemons for their starting job as well.

2. The meshing of Jet Millines and DeMarcus Bennett
With only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for spring ball, it's clearly Jet Millines job in 2039 and USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. has said as much with all of his comments about the offense needing to accentuate Millines strengths for next season.

DeMarcus Bennett, the new offensive coordinator hired from UL - Lafayette, runs a very similar offense to Malcolm Francois Jr's offense from the beginning of the decade which relied more on accuracy and anticipation than athleticism from the quarterback position which is where Millines truly shines. With the roster thin at receiver last season (and this season), Millines took reps there, catching six passes for 58 yards and a score. He also rushed the ball 27 times for 188 yards and four touchdowns while having yet to throw a touchdown pass.

While he's not the perfect fit, the Bulls will need to find a way to make it work as there's just not a lot of options at quarterback right now and he's the best they have.

3. Impact early enrollees
An impressive corps of freshmen join the defending champs roster and will get early jumps on the fall during spring practices. Among the early enrollees is 5-star Kellen Wright who will look to bring a spark to USF's running game which lacked that last season. William Sapp had three carries of over 20 yards and his longest run of the season was just 37 yards while Eric Valentine's longest run was for 19 yards so there should be plenty of opportunities and looks for Wright in this offense.

Another name to watch is Brooks Coe, the four-star receiver out of West Palm Beach. Other names to watch are four-star defensive end Ramon Hall and four-star defensive tackle Brent Lawrence who will have a chance to make an impression and be part of the rotation

4. Finding the best combination in the secondary
USF used a lot of defensive backs last season with a rotation of Tyler Matthews, Julius Hughes, Bryan Carter, K.J. Waters, Michael Robinson, Joey Bailey and Kyle Locher all of which played a significant amount of snaps and rotated outside of Matthews and Robinson who were every down players.

With Matthews gone, the CB1 slot is left open and after his performance in the playoffs, it's hard to argue that Waters isn't deserving but USF will have plenty of options to mix and match a secondary that is loaded with talent and playmakers. There are also two true freshman that the coaching staff is extremely high on in Travis Jones and Anthony Gunn, not to mention junior Cody Fuller who as a walk-on recorded 28 tackles and an interception as a freshman.

5. Maurice Bennett looking to raise his game and draft stock
Senior receiver Maurice Bennett passed on the draft to return for his senior season despite having a career year last season with 75 receptions for 902 yards and twelve touchdowns, all career highs for Bennett.

Bennett is hoping to be a sure-fire first round pick by returning to play for his uncle and offensive coordinator DeMarcus Bennett. He'll need to be more consistent to earn that first round grade as there were times and entire games where Bennett was an after thought on the outside while slot receivers D.J. Manning and Jarod Green were the more constant presence.

While the room is not void of talent in five-star sophomores Alston Marks and Joseph Moses, Bennett is once again the clear alpha in the receiver room and he'll need to start matching his production to his perception as well.