USF Bulls Preview 2024
Let’s slow a little bit of the roll here ... or let's not. It's more fun just to enjoy being good again.
Give USF fans their moment.
After a great run in the mid-2010s, the wheels came off with just four wins over FBS teams in 4.5 seasons from mid-2018 to 2022. In came Alex Golesh, out popped seven wins and a 45-0 bowl win over Syracuse, and now it’s time to get excited again about USF football.
Buuuuuuut … none of the seven wins last season were against a team that finished with a winning record.
Florida A&M, Rice, Navy, UConn, Temple, and Charlotte. An FCS team, and three that finished with three wins were in there. And as for the Boca Raton Bowl stomping of Syracuse? The Orange struggled to field a team, but that wasn't USF’s problem.
Yeah, the last win over an FBS team that finished with a winning record was October 12th, 2019, and there’s only been three of those since 2016, but that’s life in the AAC now. There are more winnable games.
USF is good enough to beat the teams they’re supposed to, and if it’s another winning season with a lot of excitement, so be it. Wins don't care where wins came from.
Keep on winning, keep on building, and keep the momentum rolling.
USF Preview 2024: Offense
- So that’s what a fun offense looks like. USF scored 415 points - it hadn’t put up that many since 2017 - with a good balance and enough yards to make up for a porous defense. With most of the key starters back, the Bulls should be able to keep it all going, starting with …
- Byrum Brown is the quarterback to build around. He ran for over 800 yards with 11 scores and threw for close to 3,300 yards and 26 touchdowns. The receivers are there to blow up even more with 92-catch leading target Sean Atkins back, helped by Purdue transfer Rahmaan-Abdur Yaseen to take more attention away.
- Brown led the team in rushing, but he hardly has to do it alone. Nay’Quan Wright returns after running for close to 800 yards with eight scores, and dangerous back and kick returner Ta’Ron Keith - a Bowling Green playmaker for the last three years - will add even more explosion.
Most of the O line returns - guard Zane Herring is the best of the bunch - but it has to be far, far better after getting ripped apart in pass protection and allowing way too many tackles for loss.
USF Preview 2024: Defense
- The defense was hit-or-miss. The overall stats weren’t great - it allowed 31 points or more five times - but when it was able to keep games in check, the offense was able to take care of the rest. There’s plenty of experience returning helped by a slew of key parts coming in from the transfer portal, particularly for …
- The secondary. It had some awful moments last season, but it came up with plenty of big plays and should be a strength. The corners - Aamaris Brown and Tavin Ward - are a potential strength, helped by adding De’Shawn Rucker (Tennessee) and Brent Austin (James Madison) from the transfer portal. Youngstown State transfer D’Marco Augustin will join an already good safety situation with Jaelen Stokes and Logan Berryhill veterans who can hit.
- The pass rush wasn’t there, but the tackles for loss were. The defense couldn’t come up with sacks, but it was seventh in the nation averaging 7.5 tackles for loss per game. The Bulls had 26 players who came up with at least a half a TFL - the pressure comes from all sides.
The edge rushing tandem of DJ Harris and Tramel Logan can be disruptive, but the line has to be nastier against the run around all-star DT Rashad Cheney.
USF Key To The Season
The run defense has to hold up.
The good passing teams were able to roll at will, too, but when the tackles for loss were flowing and the defensive front was able to produce, USF usually won.
Bulk yards didn’t matter quite as much as yards per carry. USF was 5-0 when allowing fewer than 4.8 yards per carry, and 2-6 when giving up more.
USF Key Player
NT Doug Blue-Eli, Jr.
The outside pass rushers are good, and defensive tackle Rashad Cheney is terrific, but the run defense that has to be more consistent and stronger around the 6-2, 320-pound Blue-Eli on the nose.
A great JUCO player, he spent a little time at TCU before turning into the starter for the Bull front last year, making 17 tackles with three tackles for loss. Stats don’t matter here as much as being able to hold up as an anchor.
USF Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: D’Marco Augustin, S
There isn’t a dominant transfer coming in - Purdue WR Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen really will be the best transfer - but the 6-1, 200-pound veteran from Youngstown State needs to blow up as one of USF’s new safeties. He made 117 tackles in three seasons for the Penguins and should shine in the role.
Top Transfer Out: Gerry Bohanon, QB
There’s no question who the No. 1 QB on the roster is, but it would’ve been nice to have a good veteran backup in case something happened to Byrum Brown. Bohanon threw for 1,070 yards and six touchdown with six picks, and ran for 386 yards and three scores, for the Bulls last season. Now he’ll push for the BYU starting job.
USF Key Game
Memphis, Oct. 11
You know all that stuff earlier about not beating anyone all that great last year? Here’s the problem. The first half of the season is when the good teams are - more on that at the end - and in conference play, beating a Memphis team that’s talented enough to push for a CFP spot would be a huge deal.
Last year’s meeting was a blast of a 59-50 Tiger win. USF has won just one of the last seven games since a blowout victory in the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl.
USF 10 Best Players
1. Byrum Brown, QB Soph.
2. Jhalyn Shuler, LB Sr.
3. Sean Atkins, WR Sr.
4. Rashad Cheney, DT Sr.
5. Nay’Quan Wright, RB Sr.
6. Aamaris Brown, CB Sr.
7. Jaelen Stokes, S Jr.
8. Zane Herring, OG Sr.
9. Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, WR Sr.
10. Tavin Ward, CB Soph.
USF 2023 Fun Stats
- Sacks: Opponents 43 for 257 yards, USF 23 for 156 yards
- Field Goals: USF 11-of-16, Opponents 7-of-14
- Scoring: Opponents 419, USF 415
USF 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
To do this again from the beginning section, USF will do fine as long as it’s beating the teams it can beat. But can it come up with a few stunners early?
It should start 2-3 - beating Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss, and likely losing to Alabama, Miami, and Tulane - and dealing with Memphis at home is hardly a layup.
But here's why all of the fun should continue: UAB, Florida Atlantic, Navy, Charlotte, and Tulsa - the next five games - are against teams that didn’t go bowling last year. The season finale is a winnable game against Rice.
The Bulls will win enough to go bowling again, but it'll take a big run over the second half season to do it.
Set The USF Win Total At … 7.5
Likely Wins: Bethune-Cookman, at Charlotte, UAB
50/50 Games: at Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, at Rice, at Southern Miss, Tulsa
Likely Losses: at Alabama, Miami, at Tulane
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