Despite losing its head coach, South Florida football looks like the hottest team in the American Athletic Conference in 2017. Who will feature for the Bulls?
Last season, South Florida came oh-so-close to winning the American Athletic Conference. In the end, a loss to Temple was all that separated the Bulls from a spot in the league championship game. But for any Group of Five team, success comes with its own pitfalls.
Head coach Willie Taggart is now in charge at Oregon. Top running back Marlon Mack is preparing for his first season with the Indianapolis Colts. But there are still plenty of parts still in place for a successful campaign in 2017.
That includes new coach Charlie Strong. Strong was ditched by Texas at the end of last season, but he quickly rebounded at one of the top Group of Five schools. South Florida should adjust quickly to Strong’s coaching philosophy. And while the coach faltered in Austin, he recruited well and did successfully restore Louisville to prominence prior to its move to the ACC.
Strong left a full cupboard for new Longhorns coach Tom Herman. In turn, he also has a solid roster to build with in Tampa. Who will step up for the AAC favorites in 2017 as they battle for a New Year’s Six bowl invite?
Defensive Line
Starting tackles: Deadrin Senat, Bruce Hector
Backups: Marlon Gonzalez, Kevin Bronson
The defense is going to be shifting toward a 3-3-5 alignment for the majority of its defensive plays. That means a look that includes two defensive tackles and one end with a hand in the dirt. The leaders to man the two tackle spots are seniors Deadrin Senat and Bruce Hector. Both have been mainstays on the defensive line the past few seasons, and filled the starting spots last season as well. Senat was also last year’s defensive MVP.
The veteran duo is backed up by redshirt sophomore Marlon Gonzalez and redshirt junior Kevin Bronson. Bronson has four career starts in the past two seasons and has appeared in 23 total games. Gonzalez has more limited experience, having played a minor role in his first season on the field in 2016.
Starting ends: Kirk Livingstone
Backups: Juwuan Brown
As a redshirt freshman, Kirk Livingstone started all 13 games last season at South Florida. He is slated to remain in that role in new defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary’s scheme. Livingstone presents a disruptive option that also opens up more room for linebackers to operate through the gaps. He is backed up by Juwuan Brown, the junior who served in the same role last season and earned snaps in all 13 games.
Linebackers
Starting outside linebackers: Mike Love, Nico Sawtelle
Backups: Vincent Jackson, Andre Polk
Senior Mike Love will play a similar role as last season, rushing from outside linebacker at the Bull position. Love earned nine starts last season, and closed out the year in style with a game-winning overtime sack in the Birmingham Bowl. On the weak side of the unit is Nico Sawtelle, who served as the backup at the position last season.
Sawtelle could also be challenged by redshirt freshman Andre Polk for starting time at the Will spot. Either way, both will see plenty of playing time in 2017. Backing up Love is Vincent Jackson, who is more of a pure defensive end but saw starts in four games last year. As a whole, South Florida is in good shape in regards to depth at this part of its defense.
Starting middle linebacker: Auggie Sanchez
Backups: Danny Thomas
One of the most prolific tacklers of the past three seasons, Auggie Sanchez returns for one last year manning the middle of the second level in South Florida’s defense. Sanchez has started 38 straight games for the Bulls at the Mike position. He enters 2017 ranked second nationally among active players in career tackles with 303. Sanchez will inevitably see most of the action under his fourth different defensive coordinator, but backup Danny Thomas will also see some snaps in relief.
Defensive Backs
Starting safeties: Khalid McGee, Devin Abraham, Tajee Fullwood
Backups: Nate Ferguson, Craig Watts, Jaymon Thomas
Last year’s secondary was something of an enigma. The unit ranked in the top 25 nationally in interceptions, picking off 15 passes in 2016. They were middle of the road in opponent passing efficiency, ranking 60th out of 128 FBS teams. In terms of actual yardage that opponents gained through the air, though, South Florida was abysmal. The Bulls ranked 122nd in passing yards allowed in 2016, conceding an average of 285 per game.
The five-man defensive backfield could help improve South Florida’s passing defense and reduce the bending that occurred all too often last year. Khalid McGee is versatile enough to play the “Striker” position for the Bulls as well as earn starts at cornerback. He operates as both a rover and an extra corner, allowing seniors Devin Abraman and Tajee Fullwood to patrol the field at the other safety positions.
Craig Watts, a four-star recruit who redshirted last season, highlights the talent backing up the starting trio. His addition could help improve the depth in the unit. Nate Ferguson has seen action in 12 games over the past two seasons, while fellow backup Jaymon Thomas earned four starts last year.
Starting cornerbacks: Deatrick Nichols, Ronnie Hoggins
Backups: Michael Hampton, Mazzi Wilkins
Nate Godwin is gone, having been a stalwart at one corner position. But top cornerback Deatrick Nichols is back for his senior season after leading the team in passes defensed in 2016. Ronnie Hoggins is the favorite to fill the other corner position after getting seven starts last year. He led the team last year in pass breakups even after missing two games due to injury.
Mazzi Wilkins has been a mainstay on special teams the past two years while also seeing spot duty at cornerback. He could get increased reps, but also watch out for redshirt freshman Mike Hampton. The three-star recruit turned down several offers from Big Ten and ACC schools to stay in Florida and play for the Bulls. He could help improve the quality at the position for years to come.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: William Atterbury (LT), Marcus Norman (RT)
Backups: Eric Mayes, Grant Polk
The offensive line lost two starters from last season. Left tackle Kofi Amichia among the biggest losses on the team. The competition should be fierce between junior Eric Mayes and redshirt sophomore William Atterbury for the starting position. Atterbury is returning from injury, while Mayes is a converted defensive lineman who was a backup at right tackle last year.
Marcus Norman will hold down the other tackle spot after starting nine games last season as a redshirt freshman. He will most likely be backed up by Grant Polk, the former Virginia recruit who becomes eligible to take the field this year after sitting out 2016 due to NCAA transfer rules.
Starting center: Cameron Ruff
Backup: Michael Galati
Cameron Ruff started all 13 games last season for South Florida at center, and he enters 2017 as a Rimington Award candidate at the position. The redshirt senior enters his final year of eligibility as the anchor of the line. He will once again be called upon for the bulk of the snaps, but should Ruff go down the Bulls have a competent backup in redshirt junior Michael Galati.
Starting guards: Jeremi Hall (LG), Brooks Larkin (RG)
Backups: Glen Bethel, Michael Wiggs
Jeremi Hall stepped into the starting role at left guard last year after two seasons as an understudy at the position. He started every game, and is expected to do so once again in 2017. The other guard position will probably be filled by Brooks Larkin, who saw action in two games last year as a backup.
Glen Bethel, a junior-college transfer who saw no action in 2016, will also be in the mix at the guard positions. Redshirt freshman Michael Wiggs, a left tackle in high school, has transitioned inside and could also earn playing time at the right guard position.
Receivers
Starting receivers: Marquez Valdes-Scanting, Tyre McCants, Chris Barr
Backups: Darnell Salomon, Ryeshene Bronson, Kevaughn Dingle
Top receiver Rodney Adams is gone from the 2016 roster. After moving to the slot last season, Adams featured as Quinton Flowers‘ favorite target in 2016. The end result was a fifth-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft.
That opens the door for receivers Marquez Valdes-Scanting and Tyre McCants to see more passes in 2017. Valdes-Scanting tied with Adams for the team lead with five touchdowns receptions last year. He could see more downfield throws in the upcoming season as Flowers expands his portfolio for NFL scouts.
At the slot position, Chris Barr looks ready to win back the starting role at slot receiver that he held in 2015. He was supplanted by Adams after the positional shift, but Barr could thrive in the new system. True freshman Kevaughn Dingle, a heralded three-star recruit from Miami, will also be worked into the offense this year at the slot position.
Starting tight end: Mitchell Wilcox
Backups: Elkanah Dillon
Last season, Mitchell Wilcox earned a second-team All-AAC selection at tight end as a redshirt freshman. Wilcox earned the starting role midway through the season, and proved especially dangerous as a blocker. Expect him to catch more passes this season as well. He will split time with redshirt junior Elkanah Dillon, who lost the starting job to Wilcox after five games but is still a threat in his own right.
Running Backs
Starting running back: D’Ernest Johnson
Backups: Darius Tice
The South Florida running game has centered for the past three seasons on standout back Marlon Mack. He started immediately and rushed for at least 1000 yards every year from 2014 to 2016. Mack also offered a reliable safety valve for Quinton Flowers in the passing game, catching 65 balls over his time as a Bull. Deciding to leave school early, Mack parlayed his success at USF into a fourth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft.
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Now that Mack has moved on to the NFL, the door is open for D’Ernest Johnson to step in to a featured role in the South Florida backfield. Johnson has been stuck in a backup role behind Mack for the past three seasons. Since 2014, Johnson has carried the ball 226 times for 1,000 yards and caught another 62 balls for 756 yards. He has racked up 22 total touchdowns in three seasons, including a punt return TD and two passes for scores on trick plays.
Johnson will be spelled in the running game by fellow senior Darius Tice, who received an extra year of eligibility with a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending injury last September. Tice is a more straightforward runner and presents less of a threat in the passing game. If he is healthy after recovering from his ankle injury, though, Tice presents a great change of pace for South Florida on the ground.
As always, South Florida will also depend heavily on their quarterback to run the ball. Last season Quinton Flowers outpaced Mack in per-game averages, and will be relied upon to heft a heavy load once again.
Quarterbacks
Starting quarterback: Quinton Flowers
Backup: Brett Kean
The biggest boon for South Florida heading into 2017 is the return of dual-threat star Quinton Flowers at quarterback. One of just three FBS quarterbacks to average over 100 rushing yards per game, Flowers also ranked 16th nationally in passing efficiency. Flowers enters his final season of eligibility as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
This is Flowers’ third year as the starter in Tampa. He flourished in Willie Taggart’s offense, passing for over 5,000 yards and 46 touchdowns and rushing for another 2,500 yards and 30 scores for his career. Should South Florida manage to run the table this season, Flowers could also garner Heisman hype in addition to his spot on the preseason Davey O’Brien Award and Maxwell Award watch lists.
Thus Flowers will once again be the catalyst for the South Florida offense as the team adjusts to a new coaching staff. New offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert will probably change little this season as USF transitions through its last season with Flowers on the roster.
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Behind Flowers on the depth chart is redshirt sophomore Brett Kean. He will almost certainly earn the backup job once again after claiming it last year as well. In limited action, Kean completed 18 of his 26 passes as a freshman for 129 yards. His first two passes in college both went for touchdowns in last year’s season opener against FCS Towson. Kean has the physical tools to excel, but Strong will hope he isn’t needed much in 2017.