Pony Express! Dustin Caldwell becomes first Mustang since 1948 to win the Heisman
Jessica West -- SI.com
In one of the more lopsided voting results in recent history, SMU quarterback Dustin Caldwell was the runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy, earning more first place and second place votes than the field combined to win the coveted trophy.
Caldwell beat out finalists Aaron Meyer (Miami University), Jacob Bebe (Toledo), Titus Brown (Fresno State), and Brandon Jacobs (Arizona) to become SMU's first Heisman winner since 1948 when Doak Walker won the award. As a senior, Caldwell threw for 3,630 yards and 39 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He also rushed for 1,143 yards and fifteen touchdowns, his second season topping 1,000 rushing yards.
It was a notable Heisman night as none of the finalists played in the ANAC for the first time since the invention of the mega conference, perhaps a sign of a changing of the guard.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CFB Awards Heisman: QB Dustin Caldwell (SMU): 3630 passing yards, 214 carries, 1143 yards, 54 total touchdowns Maxwell: QB Dustin Caldwell (SMU): 3630 passing yards, 214 carries, 1143 yards, 54 total touchdowns Walter Camp: QB Dustin Caldwell (SMU): 3630 passing yards, 214 carries, 1143 yards, 54 total touchdowns Bednarik: LB Kyle Locher (South Florida): 78 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, 2 touchdowns Nagurski: LB Kyle Locher (South Florida): 78 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, 2 touchdowns O'Brien: QB Dustin Caldwell (SMU): 3630 passing yards, 214 carries, 1143 yards, 54 total touchdowns Walker: HB Bobby Vaughn (Tulane): 231 carries, 1551 yards, 21 touchdowns Biletnikoff: WR Tyler Brown (Alabama): 64 receptions, 1271 yards, 17 touchdowns Mackey: TE Chris Deluca (Michigan): 82 receptions, 1210 yards, 10 touchdowns Outland: T Nick Gall (Oregon): 48 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed Rimington: C Xavier Palmer (Navy): 27 pancakes, 6 sacks allowed Lombardi: DE Tyler Switzer (USC): 55 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries Butkus: LB Kyle Locher (South Florida): 78 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, 2 touchdowns Thorpe: S Cody Fuller (South Florida): 67 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, forced fumble, 2 interceptions, touchdown Groza: K Shawn Lowe (Oregon): 30 of 30 FG, Long of 47, 47/47 XP Guy: P Spencer Williams (Ohio State): 38 punts, 36.8 Yd Net, 18 downed inside the 20 Jet: CB William Powell (Alabama): 1164 kick return yards, touchdown, 159 punt return yards
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- AP First Team All-Americans
QB Dustin Caldwell, SMU (Sr)
HB Elliot Ingram, Miami (Jr)
HB Bobby Vaughn, Tulane (Sr)
WR Tyler Brown, Alabama (Sr)
WR D.J. James, Washington (Sr)
TE Chris Deluca, Michigan (Sr)
T Jermaine Lawson, Miami University (Sr)
T Nick Gall, Oregon (Jr)
G Derek Brown, Oklahoma (Sr)
G Will Robinson, Miami University (Sr)
C Landon Franklin, Purdue (Sr)
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DE Matt Robinson, Miami University (Sr)
DE Buster Felder, SMU (Jr)
DT Mike Griffin, Ole Miss (Sr)
DT Blake Coley, Oregon (Sr)
LB Ryan Mack, Mississippi State (Sr)
LB Kyle Locher, USF (Jr)
LB Adrian Bolden, USF (Sr)
CB Matt Williams, North Texas (Jr)
CB Jamil Hunter, Oregon (Sr)
S Michael Robinson, USF (Jr)
S Cody Fuller, USF (Sr)
K Shawn Lowe, Oregon (Sr)
P Spencer Williams, Ohio State (So)
R William Powell, Alabama (So)
Five-star safety Clarence Sullivan expected to enroll at USF despite pending legal case
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
USF, quietly, might have just landed one of the nation's top prospect but the focus remains off the field as five-star safety Clarence Sullivan reportedly signed a national letter of intent with the school back in December and is expected to be enrolled in class next Tuesday as the Bulls begin to prepare for their against SMU and former offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
Sullivan, who is currently out on bail after being arrested for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery, was spotted on campus Thursday morning along with other freshmen as they were moving in. Sullivan had kept a low profile on social media since his arrest with no posts or activity.
247 Sports had reported back in November that Sullivan was in contact with USF's coaching staff. 247 Sports can now report that Sullivan met with the coaching staff just days after his arrest when he was back in the state of Florida for his processing.
If convicted, Sullivan could spend more than a decade behind bars. NCAA recruiting guidelines prevent coaches from speaking on prospective athletes but if Sullivan is indeed enrolled at USF, USF coaches could be asked by the media during their next availability about the situation.
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
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
S Clarence Sullivan [S #1]: 6'4", 210lbs | Barnwell, SC | 5-star | Unknown (pending legal case)
TE Kris Miller [TE #2]: 6'1", 238lbs | St. Petersburg, FL | 4-star | Michigan State, USF, Washington, TCU
ILB Damon Hill [ILB #3]: 6'0", 238lbs | Greater Northdale, FL | 4-star | Ole Miss, USF, UCF, Florida Atlantic
CB Ernest Jones [CB #3]: 6'1", 183lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Miami, Florida State, Florida, USF
G Corey Lee [G #9]: 6'1", 301lbs | Punta Gorda, FL [IMG] | 4-star | Miami, USF
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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
College Football Playoffs Quarterfinals Preview: vs. #6 SMU Mustangs
Record: 13-0, 9-0 Big XII
Head Coach: Jonathan Henry (13-0 at SMU, 1st year)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Brittain (Spread)
Defensive Coordinator: Alex Fogle (4-3 D)
Team Rankings
Points Per Game: 3rd
Total Offense: 5th
Rushing Offense: 28th
Passing Offense: 8th
Total Defense: 41st
Rushing Defense: 48th
Passing Defense: 55th
Turnover Differential: 13th
Team Schedule
at Tulsa: W 56-17
at Illinois: W 31-28
vs. South Alabama: W 48-17
at TCU: W 24-21
vs. Southern Miss: W 26-14
at #15 Middle Tennessee State: W 38-35
vs. Wyoming: W 55-24
vs. Rice: W 35-28
at Memphis: W 34-33
at Texas Tech: W 45-24
vs. Houston: W 63-17
vs. Baylor: W 41-28
vs. Southern Miss: W 59-35
The ever-confident Kyle Locher embraces matchup with Heisman winner Dustin Caldwell
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
The idea of playing Kyle Locher at linebacker was always in the back of USF defensive coordinator Trai Martinez' mind, dating back to when Locher was a true freshman coming out of IMG Academy. Martinez, who also coaches USF's linebackers, was weary of floating the idea to the highly-sought after prospect as one of the things that drew the Kansas native to USF was its great history of safeties and the potential of playing alongside Michael Robinson, another elite prospect in that same recruiting class.
After co-starting alongside Joey Bailey at safety as a freshman, Locher saw a reduced role in 2039 while Bailey would put together his best season before declaring for the draft. Martinez was once again weary of approaching Locher about the switch after patiently waiting for his turn but with the linebacker room being so thin, he had no choice.
"He really embraced it right away," says Martinez of the switch, "I was still trying to convince him but he was completely bought in, from the first day. There wasn't an adjustment period, a pouting period when you're going through those growing pains. He jumped headfirst and never looked back, really took over that room."
Locher, who swept the college football awards by winning the Nagurski, Butkus and Bednarik, is now embracing the challenge in front of USF's defense as they take on an SMU offense that features Heisman winner Dustin Caldwell.
"I think we play a different brand of football in the Champions Division," Locher shared with the media during the team's media day, "He's a great player but I don't know if he's seen the kind of talent that's going to be thrown at him. There's not a lot of Brandon Smith's, Michael Robinson's, those type of guys just hanging around and they don't play in the Big 12."
Locher added that the Bulls have faced other top offenses this season such as Penn State's and performed well as a defense.
USF's defense features three more All-Americans besides Locher in the aforementioned Robinson, linebacker Adrian Bolden and safety Cody Fuller. Some other notes from media day:
Francois Sr. confirms that Clarence Sullivan is a member of the football team
USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. was asked about the status of Clarence Sullivan, the talented, five-star safety that is currently charged by the Bradenton Police Department for his involvement in the armed robbery of three IMG schoolmates during Sullivan's brief tenure at the football factory.
Francois Sr. confirmed to the media that Sullivan is indeed enrolled at USF and is expected to be with the team should they advance past the first round.
"He's just like any other early enrollee where they'll get a chance to be involved on the scouting team," Francois Sr. added, "He's here, he's a member of the football team. We're aware of his legal status and with all of that going on and being an active situation, we're not going to speak on it but we are aware of it."
Francois Sr. declined to answer any other related questions regarding Sullivan's status but he did confirm that he is a scholarship athlete.
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Rhett Lashlee officially listed on the staff as a consultant
Former Baylor head coach and USF offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee had been spotted at practice for the past few weeks and is now officially listed on the team's staff directory as a defensive consultant.
While Lashlee didn't speak to the media, both Francois Sr. and Martinez confirmed that Lashlee is aiding the defense in their preparation for SMU's offense. Lashlee's Baylor Bears played SMU in the final game of the season prior to Lashlee's dismissal as head coach. The Mustangs scored 41 points with Dustin Caldwell throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for another.
Lashlee was USF's offensive coordinator during the 2027 season before being hired at Arkansas to be their head coach and has remained a close advisor for Francois Sr. With USF offensive coordinator DeMarcus Bennett getting head coaching buzz, Lashlee could be a potential candidate to replace him.
He was 27-35 at Baylor and 50-62 overall in his career.
Bulls make it official as Clarence Sullivan makes his signing to USF public
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Five-star safety Clarence Sullivan has signed his national letter of intent with the University of South Florida as confirmed by both Sullivan and school officials following a few days of rumors and rumblings.
Sullivan, who could face up to a decade in prison if found guilty of charges related to an on-campus robbery at IMG Academy, took to social media for the first time since his arrest to announce his commitment to USF. Sullivan had been rumored to be seen on campus in recent weeks and USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. confirmed during media day last week that Sullivan is indeed on the roster and will be at practices as an early enrollee should USF beat SMU and advance to the semi finals.
As a prospect, USF is getting one of the best players in the country who has already drawn comparisons to a former USF great in Wesley Adams with his combination of size and speed. On IMG's roster, Sullivan was listed at six-foot-four and 210 pounds with a verified 40-time of 4.32 seconds, the exact time that Adams ran coming out of high school.
Sullivan is a versatile talent that can thump it with the best of them as a box safety or even play center fielder as a single high deep safety which is where he mainly played during his freshman season before playing closer to the line of scrimmage as he continued to physically mature. Adams can be manipulated by experienced quarterbacks with their eyes and he takes a lot of gambles, often taking himself out of plays or relying on his athleticism to make up for a bad read.
How does he compare to fellow safety commit Julian Harrell, who was supposed to be his teammate at IMG before his expulsion? Sullivan is thicker and plays a more physical brand of football while Harrell might be a smoother athlete, specifically when coming in and out of their breaks.
The signing brought USF's class to the best in the country with potentially more on the way as five-star Trey Arnold will be deciding between Miami and USF in a few weeks.
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 | Michigan State, USF, Washington, TCU
ILB Damon Hill [ILB #3]: 6'0", 238lbs | Greater Northdale, FL | 4-star | Ole Miss, USF, UCF, Florida Atlantic
CB Ernest Jones [CB #3]: 6'1", 183lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | Miami, Florida State, Florida, USF
G Corey Lee [G #9]: 6'1", 301lbs | Punta Gorda, FL [IMG] | 4-star | Miami, USF
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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
USF Bulls whip SMU Mustangs, Heisman winner Dustin Caldwell in College Football Playoffs Quarterfinals
A lot was made of USF All-American linebacker Kyle Locher's comments regarding their matchup with SMU and Heisman winning quarterback Dustin Caldwell with Locher stating that USF had faced other high powered offenses in the past and had no issues while the Mustangs hadn't seen a defense the caliber of USF's all season.
Aside from a 72-yard run in the second half, Caldwell and the Mustangs offense was completely stalled to the tune of just 234 yards of total offense in USF's 49-17 win to advance to the College Football Playoffs Semi Finals.
Caldwell was sacked seven times, throwing for just 166 yards with a pick six in the first quarter that got the rout underway. He was outplayed by USF's Jet Millines who played the entire first half, throwing for 210 yards and two touchdowns with the lone interception coming off a dropped pass by freshman running back Jacob Wheeler, appearing in his first game since suffering an ankle injury that many thought would end his season.
Wheeler led the way in rushing for the Bulls, carrying the ball thirteen times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Eric Valentine scored two touchdowns as well.
In the second half, with the game out of hand, Millines was replaced by Mark Cunningham who threw for 87 yards but had two costly turnovers, including a fumble in his own endzone that was recovered by SMU for the score.
---------------------------------------------------------------- #3 South Florida Bulls
QB Jet Millines: 20 of 29, 210 yards, 2 touchdowns, interception, sacked twice
QB Mark Cunningham: 4 of 7, 85 yards, touchdown, interception, sacked once, fumble (lost)
HB Jacob Wheeler: 13 carries, 125 yards, touchdown
HB Kellen Wright: 10 carries, 56 yards
HB Eric Valentine: 4 carries, 15 yards, 2 touchdowns
TE Jeff Rutledge: 7 receptions, 100 yards, touchdown
WR Joseph Moses: 6 receptions, 76 yards, touchdown
WR Carl Graham: 4 receptions, 89 yards, touchdown
CB K.J. Waters: 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
DE Corey Smith: 6 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
CB Bryan Carter: Interception, touchdown
#6 SMU Mustangs
QB Dustin Caldwell: 15 of 21, 166 yards, interception, sacked 7 times, 17 carries, 63 yards
HB Marcus Norwood: 8 carries, -5 yards, touchdown
WR Brian Lawrence: 4 receptions, 41 yards
TE Bryan Ratliff: 3 receptions, 42 yards
WR Brandon Brown: 3 receptions, 29 yards
CB Raiqwon Brewer: 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
S Paul Dennis: 9 tackles, interception
LB Rodney Wallace: 5 tackles, interception
Last edited by Soapy on 12 Apr 2023, 10:50, edited 1 time in total.
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