Zebold: VETERAN-LED BULLS JELLING WELL WITH STRONG'S STAFF

[Brad]

VETERAN-LED BULLS JELLING WELL WITH STRONG'S STAFF

March 21, 2017 

 

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MARCH 21, 2017 – Equipped with a roster packed with potential, new head coach Charlie Strong wants to get the most out of every spring practice and the Bulls have been delivering on a daily basis.

After a weeklong break, USF motored through more rapid fire play-calling on both sides of the ball during the fourth session of the spring Tuesday morning at the Morsani Complex.

“We ran them a little yesterday, just to get a good sweat going,” Strong said. “For them to come out today and practice as hard as they did was really good to see.”

Strong gave the Bulls glowing reviews throughout the first week of spring practice and it’s no surprise why the Bulls have jelled so well with an almost entirely new coaching staff.

“We won 11 games last year, but we want more,” safety Devin Abraham said. “We know that we have to work and we have to keep pushing.”

Abraham, a savvy veteran with 25 games of starting experience, is one of 14 seniors returning from the two-deep and they're driving the Bulls in the right direction. Other go-to seniors on defense include cornerback Deatrick Nichols (Miami), safety Tajee Fullwood (Tampa), and defensive linemen Deadrin Senat (Immokalee), Bruce Hector (Tampa) and Mike Love (Clearwater).

Leadership on offense starts at quarterback with American Offensive Player of the Year Quinton Flowers (Miami) and it continues with running backs D’Ernest Johnson (Immokalee) and Darius Tice (Miami), linemen Cameron Ruff (Tampa) and Jeremi Hall (Atlanta), along with receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling (St. Petersburg) and Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers).

“It’s really good to see that leadership,” Strong said. “On the offensive side, your quarterback is your leader and our best football player.”

While seniors are setting the tone, Flowers has been encouraged by what he’s seen from the whole group, even when the Bulls are off the practice field.

“When I first got here, you didn’t hear guys really talk about what they did in practice,” Flowers said. “Now you see guys in the locker room competing and talking about what they did. That’s the type of team you want. That’s the type of guys you want on your team to go out and compete. They love to challenge each other.”

Coaching Staff Getting Into a Groove

Aside from senior leadership, Bulls fans should also get excited about the structure in place for the program.

Spring practice has taken on a pro-type feel with efficient outings geared toward making every rep count under the direction of Strong’s experienced staff.

“With coaches, we watch film before we come out to practice. We’ll watch film the day before the next practice,” Flowers said. “We’ll watch film before a lift. We’re always watching film and they’re always teaching us something new.”

Continuity is a big plus for a coaching staff and USF has exactly that on the offensive side of the ball. Coordinator/Quarterbacks coach Sterlin Gilbert, offensive line coach Matt Mattox, receiver coach Charlie Williams and tight ends coach Justin Burke all spent last season on Strong’s staff at Texas. Before that, Gilbert and Mattox spent the previous three seasons together at different programs.

“It’s going well because you look on offense, you have an offensive staff that has been together,” Strong said. "They came here and they’ve worked together.”

Familiar faces are also found on a swarming defense led by new coordinator Brian Jean-Mary, who spent the past seven seasons on Strong’s staffs at Texas and Louisville. Defensive tackles coach Sean Cronin previously worked with Strong as a graduate assistant at Florida, which won two national titles during their time with the Gators.

“The players, it’s easy for them to adjust because when everyone is on the same page and everybody is talking the same language, then it’s an easy adjustment for them,” Strong said.

USF’s senior leaders say the team has made a smooth transition with the new coaching staff that’s creating a fun learning environment for the Bulls.

“They just come in and they just feed off us,” Abraham said. “They see how good and friendly we are and they just kind of bond with us. It’s been really easy.”

Notables

- One of Tuesday’s top plays was made by emerging freshman receiver DeVontres Dukes (Tampa), who used his 6-feet-4 frame to snag a 30-yard jump ball in traffic from Flowers in the end zone. “I saw Dukes was still alive, still working,” Flowers said. “I just gave him a chance to make a play and that’s what he did for me.”

- Flowers also delivered a perfect deep ball down the sideline that fell right into the arms of senior Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who tied for the team lead with five TD catches last year. “Marquez is awesome every day,” safety Devin Abraham said.

minor injuries. Watts showcased his tight coverage skills throughout practice Tuesday and broke up a potential touchdown pass in the end zone.

- USF continues its three-practice run this week on Thursday morning at the Morsani Complex.

 

[Ionbull]

Honestly never seen the guys so jazzed about Spring Practice. Sounds like the players are really feeling the new coaching staff, which is yuuuuuuuge. Starting to feel a tinge of that special feeling of a season brewing.