Strength in Unity.

Post by **Soapy** » 13 Apr 2023, 14:42

USF freshman safety Clarence Sullivan expected to be full participant during the spring
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

Perhaps not since Trey Davis has a recruit and their recruitment been under such scrutiny when it comes to true freshman Clarence Sullivan. USF was able to secure the commitment and signed one of the nation's best prospects and one of the best safeties in recent years to come out of high school.

Sullivan's talent hasn't been the headline, at least not in recent months as his dismissal from IMG and eventual arrest led to him not playing football at all during his senior season. Instead, he spent it back home in South Carolina before his eventual arrest in Florida for charges stemming from an alleged robbery that took place in IMG's campus.

Sullivan's freedom -- and football future -- continues to remain muddied as he awaits trial but it's not stopping him nor USF's football program from moving forward with his development. Sullivan enrolled at USF, partly in secrecy, back in January and has practiced with the team as a member of the scout team during their post season run. As players are beginning offseason workouts, Sullivan will once again be part of them as long as he's legally allowed to do so.

"I'm not going to speak on it much," Francois Sr. told the media during his latest availability of Sullivan's status, "We feel confident in our decision to move forward with Clarence [Sullivan] and he's going to be a member of this team, of this community and we expect great things on and off the field from him. Until I hear differently, he's a full go."

The six-foot-four freshman with elite top end speed could play a prominent role on a USF defense that's already lost its two starting safeties to the draft and graduation.

Post by **Soapy** » 13 Apr 2023, 14:59

Reviewing the over/under props from last season as true freshmen play key role in championship
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

Coming off a 7-6 season, opportunity was ripe for the incoming true freshmen to play an important role in USF's 2040 season, especially those that enrolled early. They did with USF ultimately winning the national championship and had several key true freshmen help them in doing so.

Here's a look back at last year's prop for the early enrolees:

WR Carl Graham [ATH #1]: 6'3", 233lbs | Clifton, AZ | 5-star
Projected Role: There's a lot to love about Graham with his size and experience having played at different positions in different offenses on different teams across different states. USF needs a big body on the outside to replace Maurice Bennett and while those are big shoes to fill, the path is there for Graham as Tracy Brooks didn't impress in the bowl game when he got the start.
Over/Under Prop: 35 receptions (over)
Final Statline: 56 receptions, 740 yards, 9 touchdowns, Freshman All-American
Season in Review: Graham was one of USF's more versatile pieces at receiver, capable of playing both in the slot and on the outside. He was also an efficient and willing blocker on the perimeter and should have a prominent role next season as USF's best returning receiver.

HB Dominique Shelton [HB #2]: 6'0", 196lbs | South Sumter, SC | 5-star
Projected Role: This can change if they land Jacob Wheeler but the Bulls need some wiggle in the backfield to help bolster that running attack and there's plenty of wiggle in Shelton's film, even more so in Wheeler's. So if Wheeler goes to Miami, Shelton could push for a starting role and find himself beating out veterans William Sapp and Eric Valentine by the end of the season and pushing Kellen Wright for carries.
Over/Under Prop: 4.5 yards per carry (under)
Final Statline: No stats
Season in Review: Shelton just never found a role as USF landed Wheeler on national signing day, pushing Shelton to fourth on the depth chart. He should have a bigger role next season, replacing Eric Valentine as a goal-line option. He needs to continue to get bigger however for that role.

WR Billy Matthews [WR #5]: 6'0", 183lbs | Sarasota Springs, FL | 5-star
Projected Role: There's a lot of debate among the pundits on if Matthews is a legitimate five-star and when watching him in person, it's easy to walk away unimpressed with the physical attributes but he put up the numbers and production in high school. Joseph Moses is the top slot guy by far but neither Mike Thomas nor Brooks Coe did enough in 2039 to lock down that backup role in the slot so Matthews could compete there.
Over/Under Prop: 300 receiving yards (under)
Final Statline: No stats
Season in Review: It was always going to be an adjustment period for Matthews as he doesn't have the impressive physical traits to earn playing time quickly as a freshman. If Graham moves to a full time role on the outside, he should compete next season to be USF's slot.

IOL Jake Thompson [ATH #17]: 6'1", 275lbs | Kettering, OH | 5-star
Projected Role: Thompson needs at least two seasons of development before he's Champions Division ready, even as a five-star joining an offensive line that struggled.
Over/Under Prop: Redshirt (yes)
Final Statline: No stats
Season in Review: As expected, Thompson did not play and will likely be making a position switch to guard next season in hopes of playing time.

C Kyle Jones [C #1]: 6'1", 284lbs | Raleigh, NC | 5-star
Projected Role: While Thompson is likely headed towards a redshirt, Jones is a bit more ready and could compete with another talented young guy in Ray Anderson. The Bulls also lost guard Brandon Jones to the draft so the path is there for the younger Jones to crack the two deep.
Over/Under Prop: 3 starts (over)
Final Statline: 15 starts, 6 pancakes, sack allowed, Freshman All-American
Season in Review: Jones got the start at freshman and didn't look back, starting every game at center for USF. He'll need to improve his strength and has ways to go to be the elite center that the program feel he can be but a great start for him.

DE/TE Marcellus Smith [DE #2]: 6'6", 239lbs | Clearwater, FL | 4-star
Projected Role: The first thing is going to be defining his position and then his role. Smith got more buzz as a defensive end because of his length and athleticism but those same freaky traits make him intriguing at tight end. If they land his brother, Brandon, it'd be a cool story to pair them on the defensive line so leaving him there, he could challenge Kareem Cunning and Ramon Hall for that defensive end spot vacated by David Richardson.
Over/Under Prop: 5 sacks (under)
Final Statline: 19 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, sack, 4 pass breakups, forced fumble
Season in Review: Smith might have missed the prop but his freshman season went way better than many expected as he proved to be a versatile player capable of being a stand-up linebacker in USF's 3-4 defense. Going forward, he might return to a traditional defensive end but the versatility is there as he showed it in coverage and against the run.

QB Mark Cunningham [QB #1]: 6'3", 211lbs | Augusta, GA | 4-star
Projected Role: Perhaps the biggest wildcard of the bunch, Cunningham could come in, win the starting job and be on his way to being the next Jeff Jones. He could also lose it to Jet Millines, Jacob Venckus or even JUCO quarterback Brandon Riley who will be arriving in the summer and not be hard from again for the next two seasons. Cunningham is talented enough to beat out all of them so he'll get at least an appearance or two but likely is the backup by season's end.
Over/Under Prop: 300 passing yards (over)
Final Statline: 118 of 183, 1584 yards, 15 touchdowns, 8 interceptions
Season in Review: USF fans should be excited to see how Cunningham develops under new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. Cunningham checked all of the boxes in his play this season, splitting time with quarterback Jet Millines. He's accurate, tough and can even push the ball down the field so the sky is the limit for Cunningham.

DT Nick Brown [DT #3]: 6'7", 283lbs | Groves, TX | 4-star
Projected Role: A former glamor position for the Bulls, they haven't had an elite defensive tackle in a while and Brown could be just that. He'll have his work cut out for him with Jesse Berrong, Matt Langford and Brett Lawrence but he'll be given every opportunity to earn that starting spot and never look back
Over/Under Prop: 8 tackles for loss (under)
Final Statline: No stats
Season in Review: Brown didn't touch the field last season and recently announced his transfer to Houston.

CB Charlie Robinson [CB #1]: 6'4", 176lbs | Barberton, OH | 4-star
Projected Role: With Julius Hughes declaring early, the door is certainly cracked for Robinson to make an early impact as a potential nickel or situational guy at corner. He'll need to beat out a very similar athlete in Cody Fuller who is six-foot-four and 186 pounds but Robinson is the better athlete
Over/Under Prop: 3 pass breakups (over)
Final Statline: 1 tackle, pass breakup
Season in Review: Robinson couldn't beat out Travis Jones, the redshirt true freshman who started every game at nickel. With USF's top corners likely headed to the NFL, Robinson should play a prominent role next season.

TE Taylor Smith [TE #8]: 6'3", 253lbs | Barnwell, SC [IMG] | 4-star
Projected Role: The team is extremely high on Jeff Rutledge so getting him off the field is going to be tough, even for a talented guy like Smith
Over/Under Prop: 2 pancakes (over)
Final Statline: No stats
Season in Review: As mentioned, getting Rutledge off the field was going to be tough which Smith ultimately couldn't do. He'll get a chance next year to perhaps be a blocker but nothing more.

CB Akeem Smith [CB #5]: 5'9", 183lbs | Tallahassee, FL | 4-star
Projected Role: Similar to Robinson, Smith figures to compete right away at cornerback and potentially sliding into nickel if the team kicks Bryan Carter, as expected, to boundary corner. It's hard to see both of them beating out Fuller who Fuller likely CB4 and Smith being the fifth corner. There's also second-year corners Anthony Gunn and Travis Jones who showed flashes in the spring
Over/Under Prop: 3 pass breakups (under)
Final Statline: 11 tackles, interception, touchdown, pass deflection
Season in Review: Similar to Robinson, Smith fell behind Travis Jones in the depth chart but still got on the field as the team's fourth corner, making a big pick six which was the highlight of his season. He'll likely be USF's CB2 next season with a strong spring.

OLB James Scott [OLB #27]: 6'1", 208lbs | Tampa, FL | 3-star
Projected Role: The only three-star on campus early, Franklin is likely going to redshirt
Over/Under Prop: Redshirt (yes)
Final Statline: No stats
Season in Review: As expected, did not play

Post by **Soapy** » 13 Apr 2023, 15:19

USF suffers more losses as Billy Mathews heads to UCF, Wally Bayless and K.J. Waters to the draft
Cooper Byrd -- Dynasty Sports Staff Writer

USF juniors offensive tackle Wally Bayless and cornerback K.J. Waters are the latest juniors to forego their senior season to head to the NFL Draft, joining a list of seven others from the team's national championship team.

Bayless started every game last season at right tackle, surrendering nine sacks. Waters served as the team's top corner, intercepting three passes to bring his career total to nine after being a three-year starter for USF.

In good news for USF's defense which is losing several top players, linebacker Kyle Locher will be returning for his senior season.

USF is also losing another player to the transfer portal as former five-star receiver Billy Matthews is following USF offensive coordinator DeMarcus Bennett and quarterback Brandon Riley to Orlando, transferring to UCF. Matthews did not play last season.

2041 Players Leaving » Career Stats
#11 Jet Millines (QB, Junior): Declared Early » 540 of 767, 7035 yards, 61 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, sacked 35 times, 186 carries, 1154 yards, 10 touchdowns, 7 fumbles
#15 Alston Marks (WR, Junior): Declared Early » 155 receptions, 1995 yards, 12 touchdowns, 5 dropped passes
#5 Michael Robinson (S, Junior): Declared Early » 252 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, touchdown, 14 pass breakups, fumble recovery
#1 Joseph Moses (WR, Junior): Declared Early » 200 receptions, 2699 yards, 20 touchdowns, 9 dropped passes
#67 Woody Humphrey (G, Junior): Declared Early » 22 pancakes, 7 sacks allowed
#21 Bryan Carter (CB, Junior): Declared Early » 116 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 10 interceptions, touchdown, 8 pass breakups, fumble recovery
#2 K.J. Waters (CB, Junior): Declared Early » 145 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, sack, 9 interceptions, 3 touchdowns, 20 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery
#96 Jesse Berrong (DT, Junior): Declared Early » 51 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovery
#10 Nick Brown (DT, Freshman): Transfer (Houston) » No stats
#16 Billy Matthews (WR, Freshman): Transfer (UCF) » No stats
#19 Brandon Riley (QB, Junior): Transfer (UCF) » No stats
#69 Kyle Everett (LT, Senior): Pro Draft » 26 pancakes, 13 sacks given up
#26 Eric Valentine (HB, Senior): Graduation » 247 carries, 1077 yards, 39 touchdowns, 2 fumbles, 52 receptions, 349 yards, 2 touchdowns
#97 Cory Smith (DE, Senior): Graduation » 82 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, forced fumble
#4 William Sapp (HB/WR, Senior): Graduation » 95 receptions, 1354 yards, 8 touchdowns, 268 carries, 1269 yards, 12 touchdowns
#23 Cody Fuller (S, Senior): Graduation » 129 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, sack, 3 interceptions, touchdown, 2 pass breakups, forced fumble
#28 Adrian Bolden (S/LB, Senior): Graduation » 84 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, touchdown, 3 pass breakups, forced fumble
#65 Dane Clay (G, Rs Senior): Graduation » 13 pancakes, 4 sacks allowed

Post by **Soapy** » 13 Apr 2023, 15:44

USF looking to add finishing touches on already impressive class, secure top ranking
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider

USF is already fielding an impressive 2041 recruiting class which features three of the nation's top players in Scott Price, Clarence Sullivan and Shawn Thomas along with some of the country's best quarterbacks, safeties, corners and linebackers.

USF can improve upon on that class on National Signing Day with a few big fishes out there in five-star receiver Trey Arnold, four-star tight end Kris Miller, four-star linebacker Damon Hill, four-star corner Ernest Jones and four-star offensive lineman Corey Lee.

Starting with Arnold, USF is battling it out with Miami to land his signature. Florida State is looming around as well but really, it's a two team battle that the Hurricanes will be trying to win after losing two battles last season to USF in Brandon Smith and Jacob Wheeler who ended up being quality players for the Bulls. With the loss of receiver Billy Matthews to UCF and the early entry into the draft by Alston Marks and Joseph Moses, USF is an even more attractive destination for Arnold he could play right away opposite of five-star receiver Scott Price.

In Miller, USF will be keen on keeping the talented player in-state. The Bulls don't like losing local talent that they really like to other programs, especially non-elite ones in Washington and to a lesser extent Michigan State. USF is in good standing with Miller and feel strongly they can close the deal as he has a close relationship with USF tight end coach Buck Burns.

Another relatively local prospect in Lee, Miami is in another battle with the Bulls trying to pry him away. Lee had an up and down season at IMG and struggled to adjust to the increase in competition level which can be expected. How much is USF still interested is anyone's guess but they have remained in contact with him.

Staying local, it doesn't get much more local than Ernest Jones who plays his high school football less than fifteen minutes from USF's campus at Tampa King. Florida and Florida State have done a great job recruiting him and there is interest from his family in getting Jones out of Tampa. The Bulls haven't given up on him and view him as one of the nation's top prospects and a five-star talent but it'll be a tough hill to climb with mom and dad preferring him to expand his environment.

The last prospect on the board is Hill whose kept his recruitment close to the vest. The Hillsborough county native has taken official visits to FAU, Mississippi State, UCF and Ole Miss with the Owls -- yes, the FAU Owls -- looking like the favorites coming out of it. It's tough to get a read on Hill who doesn't do much interviews but the only interview he did this season from a recruiting standpoint was following his visit to Boca Raton and did it with 247 Sports FAU affiliate, take from that what you will.

2041 USF Recruiting Class
WR Scott Price [ATH #5]: 6'3", 211lbs | Tampa, FL | 5-star | 4.44 40-yd dash, 310 Bench Press Max, 270 Squat Max
S Clarence Sullivan [S #1]: 6'4", 210lbs | Barnwell, SC | 5-star | 4.32 30-yd dash, 390 Bench Press Max, 375 Squat Max
DT Shawn Thomas [DT #1]: 6'1", 291lbs | Mount Olive, NC | 5-star | 4.84 40-yd dash, 450 Bench Press Max, 655 Squat Max
QB Rashad Woodard [QB #6]: 6'2", 201lbs | Spencer, OK | 4-star | 4.68 40-yd dash, 275 Bench Press Max, 330 Squat Max
S Julian Harrell [S #2]: 6'2", 179lbs | Fort Lee, VA [IMG] | 4-star | 4.32 40-yd dash, 360 Bench Press Max, 355 Squat Max
DE James Foster [DE #6]: 6'3", 248lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | 4.64 40-yd dash, 410 Bench Press Max, 555 Squat Max
CB Ronald Berry [CB #6]: 5'9", 172lbs | Bradenton, FL [IMG] | 4-star | 4.38 40-yd dash, 235 Bench Press Max, 255 Squat Max
DE Kyle Wood [DE #12]: 6'3", 235lbs | Niceview, FL [IMG] | 4-star | 4.74 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 605 Squat Max
OLB Cory Manson [OLB #9]: 5'11", 220lbs | Daphne, AL | 4-star | 4.62 40-yd dash, 425 Bench Press Max, 655 Squat Max
WR Andre Morgan [WR #28]: 6'1", 196lbs | Bonita Springs, FL | 4-star | 4.36 40-yd dash, 250 Bench Press Max, 215 Squat Max
WR Nick Weiss [WR #33]: 6'4", 195lbs | Childersburg, AL | 4-star | 4.46 40-yd dash, 240 Bench Press Max, 260 Squat Max
ILB Ryan Robinson [ILB #20]: 6'0", 230lbs | Port St. Lucie, FL | 3-star | 4.48 40-yd dash, 395 Bench Press Max, 560 Squat Max
TE Earl May [FB #2]: 5'10", 236lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 3-star | 4.54 40-yd dash, 400 Bench Press Max, 325 Squat Max

2041 USF Recruiting Board
WR Trey Arnold [WR #2]: 5'11", 171lbs | Miami, FL | 5-star | Miami, USF
TE Kris Miller [TE #2]: 6'1", 238lbs | St. Petersburg, FL | 4-star | USF, Washington, TCU
ILB Damon Hill [ILB #3]: 6'0", 238lbs | Greater Northdale, FL | 4-star | FAU, Mississippi State, USF, UCF, Ole Miss
CB Ernest Jones [CB #3]: 6'1", 183lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Florida State, Florida, USF, Miami
G Corey Lee [G #9]: 6'1", 301lbs | Punta Gorda, FL [IMG] | 4-star | Miami, USF
--------
S Kevin Malloy [S #3]: 6'2", 193lbs | Orlando, FL | 4-star | Committed to Florida State
QB Will Jones [QB #16]: 6'4", 200lbs | West Hartford, CT | 4-star | Rutgers
OLB Charles Moore [OLB #34]: 6'1", 242lbs | Orlando, FL | 3-star | Miami, Southern Miss

Post by **Soapy** » 13 Apr 2023, 20:59

USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. applauds hiring of DeMarcus Bennett at UCF
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles

In his first extensive public comments on the hiring of former USF offensive coordinator DeMarcus Bennett at UCF to be their next head coach, USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. was complimentary of the rival's move, calling it inspiring and imaginative.

"I think it was the right type of hire to make," Francois Sr. spoke to the media following a banquet that was honoring some of Hillsborough County's top high school seniors where he was invited to speak, "Where they're at as a program, you need a young spirit to keep evolving it, moving it forward. I think [Bennett] is an innovative guy, an ever changing type of coach so it was definitely an inspiring decision to not just go after a retread or a proven guy but doing some imaginative, you have to swing big."

Bennett spent two years at USF and after a down season in 2040 where his job was potentially on the line by the end of the season, Bennett and the Bulls offense rebounded in spectacular fashion. With a national championship under his belt, Bennett interviewed for several other openings but ultimately landed with UCF, perhaps just as much his decision as it was the other schools that chose other candidates.

"It's hard to get a good read on hiring trends," Francois Sr. added, "Do they want older guys, younger guys? No matter what, it seems like Black coaches just are never part of that trend, I don't know what to tell you, it is what it is at this point."

Francois Sr. was very outspoken two years ago following the firing of Black head coach Brandon Pierre at Missouri despite consistently winning with the Tigers. Another USF OC, Peter Nicholson, replaced Pierre at Missouri and hasn't spoken with Francois Sr. yet as the head coach disapproved of the move.

This one with Bennett? Not so much. Francois Sr. says he's spoken with Bennett a few times as the first 100 days are crucial but plans to eventually take a hands off approach as he has done with what he calls his other coaching 'sons', including his actual son Malcolm Francois Jr. during his tenure at Kentucky.

"Those first couple of weeks set everything," Francois Sr. said of Bennett's early tenure, "One thing I wish I did differently with [Francois Jr.] is reach out more early on, help him out because you get overwhelmed. You're an OC, you call plays, you recruit, you game plan. When you're the head man, it's events like this, meeting with donors, meeting with players, meeting with parents, meeting with other coaches. What do you say yes to and what do you say no to. Those are the key days to help establish that culture because once you get it rolling, it's hard to reset and get everything right."

USF will be playing in the Contenders Division next season with a shot at being promoted to the Champions Division for the first time in program history.

Post by **Soapy** » 13 Apr 2023, 21:18

Charges against USF freshman Clarence Sullivan have been formally dropped by Bradenton Police Department
Sean Caesar -- The Athletic Writer

USF true freshman safety Clarence Sullivan has been marred by controversy since before his arrival to USF's campus but the road to perhaps normalcy got a bit clearer as the 18-year old was cleared of his armed robbery charges on Monday.

Sullivan was previously listed as a co-defendant along with Demetrius Hornsby, Michone Silas and Veronica Truitt for their involvement in the armed robbery of three IMG female student-athletes back in March of last year.

Hornsby and Silas pled guilty last Friday to the charges, stating that Hornsby duped Sullivan, who was a student at IMG Academy at the time, into letting him into the residential building where he carried out the robbery of the three female students as one of them had gotten into an altercation back in January with Hornsby's girlfriend, Silas. The two were facing up to thirty years in prison, if convicted, and accepted a plea of seven and a half years.

A source with intimate knowledge of the situation stated that Hornsby's version of the events -- which cleared Sullivan of any pretense knowledge of the robbery -- as well as some inconsistency in the victims' statements led to the Brandon Police Department withdrawing their charges.

In their original statement taken on the day of the robbery, it was alleged that Sullivan's role was to guard the door. In subsequent statements according to the source, Sullivan's role has changed and varied between each victim's eyewitness account including at least one victim, at one point, stating they were unclear if Sullivan was ever in the apartment as the robbery took place.

"We know he let them in," said the source, "What was always unclear was his role and the fact that there's uncertainty on if he was inside the apartment, outside the apartment, it just sort of made things harder to decipher. When Silas and Hornsby say he didn't know, the appetite from the prosecution to move forward just wasn't there, especially with two wins in their belt, three if you count Truitt."

Truitt plead guilty last December to aiding an armed robbery, the same charge that Sullivan was facing and received the mandated minimum of three years. According to Truitt, who became a potential witness for the prosecution, she drove Silas and Hornsby to IMG's campus with the intention of 'scaring' the female student-athletes. She was not present in the apartment at the time of the robbery.

USF -- both the university and the athletic apartment -- did not comment when asked.

Post by **Soapy** » 14 Apr 2023, 08:21

Post by **Soapy** » 14 Apr 2023, 08:58

Lack of experienced talent evident at USF's spring game
Johnny Murray -- The Tampa Bay Times Sports Columnist

The tone of USF's spring game this past Friday night was much different than last year with Jet Millines and Michael Robinson in street clothes among other members of the 2040 national championship team that were honored before the game and presented their championship ring. Players from the 2031 national championship team, including quarterback James Brown, were also present as honorary captains.

It was a night of celebration for USF and plenty of sloppy football to go along with it as Team Bulls, consisting of the first team defense and second team offense, beat Team Rocky 23-14.

The Bulls lost eight juniors to the draft and seven seniors to graduation on top of the three transfers -- defensive tackle Nick Brown, wide receiver Billy Mathews and quarterback Brandon Riley -- and the lack of depth and experience showed itself as several times, the play was called dead before the snap due to alignment issues that the coaching staff corrected. It was much more of a practice than the competitive atmosphere that USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. tries to foster at the spring game.

The quarterbacks are looking good, all of them
USF offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee might have been accused of playing coy throughout the spring when speaking to the media and reiterating that the quarterback position is a wide open battle despite many fans viewing Mark Cunningham, who split reps with Millines last season as the starter, as the incumbent.

While Cunningham had a strong showing, so did Jacob Venckus and especially Rashad Woodard who played behind an offensive line that consisted of mainly walk-ons (more on that later). Woodard looked dynamic in the pocket and he had to be with the pocket collapsing on him on almost every snap. The results of the scramble drills weren't always pretty with a lot of throwaways or Woodard getting back to the line of scrimmage as he ran out of bounds. But promise was shown and there's certainly something there with Woodard who impressed coaches with his accuracy throughout the spring.

It's going to be a legit battle heading into fall camp, especially considering Lashlee's offense prioritizes a mobile quarterback and the talent around the quarterback position isn't as strong as last season, something that benefited Cunningham as a drop-back passer who relies on his accuracy and decision making.

Ryan Williams' management of the numbers along the offensive line is less than stellar
Redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Garrett McTaggart played the entire game, rotating jerseys as he switched from team to team, playing left tackle on Team Rocky and right tackle on Team Bulls. So did redshirt junior tackle Cole Britton who played opposite of McTaggart. Along the interior, it was a rotation of redshirt sophomore Steve Bailey, sophomores Jake Thompson and Kyle Jones and junior Ray Anderson as the scholarship players while other non-scholarship, walk-on players filled in the gaps to provide a break for the offensive line.

USF currently only has six scholarship bodies along the offensive line with only one with playing experience in Jones, the starting center.

Plenty of talent to go around on the defense
Aided by some of the alignment issues on offense and an overall lack of talent and depth at key spots, USF's defense ruled the day on both teams with strong showings from veterans Travis Jones and Kyle Locher who might USF's best player.

A few true freshman flashed as well in defensive end Kyle Wood who failed to get credited for a sack but recorded four pressures. Defensive tackle Shawn Thomas completely dominated the interior whenever there were walk-ons, a promising sign for the five-star defensive tackle as he looks to climb the depth chart. But perhaps the most impressive of all freshmen was Clarence Sullivan who delivered a physical blow to fellow five-star freshman receiver Scott Price, jarring the ball loose. He led the game with fourteen tackles.

Price had a good day in his own right, hauling in five passes and looked like the best receiver out there. He got behind Travis Jones a few times but was unable to get the ball due to protection issues, a common theme.

"He's probably our best guy right now against the press," USF receiver Marco Mason praised the true freshman, "The corners did a good job today of being physical and some of us responded well, others didn't."

Cal Graham, USF's leading returning receiver, was held without a catch.

Post by **James** » 14 Apr 2023, 11:28

Great to see Oklahoma is back up with the big boys next year.

Post by **Soapy** » 14 Apr 2023, 19:02

James wrote: ↑
14 Apr 2023, 11:28
Great to see Oklahoma is back up with the big boys next year.

yessir, imma try to not spank em too hard this year

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