Bowl provides USF pop!

[TyBull]

BULLS FOOTBALL

Bowl Game Provides USF Some 'Pop'

By BRETT McMURPHY bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: Jan 29, 2006

TAMPA - Coming off its inaugural season in the Big East and the first bowl game in program history, University of South Florida recruiting coordinator Carl Franks and Coach Jim Leavitt have noticed a difference while recruiting this season.

"There has been a change," said Franks, who is also USF's running backs coach. "Young men know they can stay in the state and recruits now know we are a national player. That we have a chance to win the Big East title every year and we're one of four BCS schools in the state. It puts us on a whole different platform than we have been in the past. We're not only talking about it, but showing we can do it.

"We were a [win] away from being in a BCS bowl and went to our first bowl game. And that's only the beginning - and young men want to be a part of that."

Added Leavitt: "We've gotten a little more 'pop' out there, especially outside of Tampa."

The "pop" likely will translate into the Bulls delivering more pop in future years on defense, with USF expected to sign its best group of defensive recruits.

Of the 26 players who have committed to USF and are expected to sign Wednesday, 13 play defense. Last year, USF signed nine defensive players and only six remain at USF, including one who has been moved to offense.

This year's commitments include five defensive linemen, six defensive ends or linebackers and two defensive backs.

That, Leavitt said, is no coincidence.

"Defensive end and linebackers have been an emphasis," Leavitt said. "Especially defensive end."

Another emphasis for USF continues to be the state of Florida, specifically the Tampa Bay area.

Nine of USF's commitments are from the Bay area, including Hillsborough defensive lineman Leslie Stirrups, Chamberlain receiver Edner Alcin, Robinson punter Delbert Alvarado and Gaither receiver Carlton Mitchell.

All 24 high school seniors committed to USF are from Florida, including seven of The Orlando Sentinel's top 100 state recruits.

The Big East Conference also has made recruiting Florida a priority. Last year there were 14 Floridians on the All-Big East first and second teams and every Big East team except Syracuse and Cincinnati had at least 14 Floridians on their respective rosters.

Leavitt takes a great deal of pride in recruiting his home state. Just last week he started one morning visiting recruits in the Miami area and by the end of the day had driven all the way to Jacksonville, stopping along the way, to visit more recruits.

"Recruiting is always fun, but it's been more fun this year because we're in on so many guys," Leavitt said. "We're trying to continue to build a foundation."

•Freedom running back Eddie Davis had his scholarship offer to USF rescinded Saturday. He has committed to West Virginia.

USF COMMITMENTS

Player Pos. Ht./Wt. High School/College

Edner Alcin WR 6-1/177 Chamberlain

Nate Allen QB 6-2/190 Cape Coral

Delbert Alvarado P 6-2/185 Robinson

James Boger G 6-4/315 Dixie Hollins

Keeley Dorsey RB 5-11/207 Tallahassee Lincoln

Dylan Douglas CB 5-10/170 Jacksonville Jackson

David Fonua DE 6-2/250 Bradenton Southeast

LaBrandon Glover LB 6-0/217 Pensacola

Aaron Harris DL 6-5/250 Williston

*Frank Harry DT 6-3/285 Pearl River (Miss.) C.C.

Zach Hermann OL 6-3/310 Tarpon Springs

Jeff Ide OT 6-6/250 Manatee

James Jackson DT 6-1/260 Santa Monica College

Joseph Jackson DE 6-4/188 Miami Washington

Sabbath Joseph LB 5-11/212 Miami Central

Andrew Ketchel TE 6-5/215 Choctawhatchee

Alwan Lee QB 6-0/171 Miami Washington

Craig Marshall DE 6-4/206 Choctawhatchee

Kevin McCaskill C 6-0/287 Tallahassee Godby

Alonzo McQueen LB 6-0/199 Jacksonville Lee

Carlton Mitchell WR 6-3/188 Gaither

Aston Samuels RB 6-0/190 Belle Glades Central

Josh Smiley DE 6-3/230 Milton

Leslie Stirrips DL 6-2/274 Hillsborough

Jeremiah Warren OL 6-3/320 Panama City Bay

Jerrel Young DB 6-2/205 Gibbs

*-already enrolled at USF

[smazza]

•Freedom running back Eddie Davis had his scholarship offer to USF rescinded Saturday. He has committed to West Virginia

a killer

[South_Florida_Flip]

•Freedom running back Eddie Davis had his scholarship offer to USF rescinded Saturday. He has committed to West Virginia

a killer

How is that a killer? He wasn't a very highly rated RB. If James commits here, then it will more than fill Davis departure.

[Cubanbull]

a killer? LOL the kid wasnt even on the recruiting sites banks until he committed to us and got those two stars. With the attitude he gave on the report i say they can keep him

[Triple B]

a killer? LOL the kid wasnt even on the recruiting sites banks until he committed to us and got those two stars. With the attitude he gave on the report i say they can keep him

What report?......... Hopefully they rescinded offer because James IS changing his mind. Davis can't be too bad if WVUwanted him.

[D1DDY]

steve slaton's job is safe

[Cubanbull]

he is been looked at as a DB not RB.

[D1DDY]

oh didn't know that... i saw RB and assumed

[SANJAY]

•Freedom running back Eddie Davis had his scholarship offer to USF rescinded Saturday. He has committed to West Virginia

a killer

I don't get it.  We pull Hector Hernandez's scholarship for visiting Louisville and you think it's great.  We pull this kid's for going visiting WVU and it's killer.  They were both kids no one heard of until they committed to us.

[Cubanbull]

Its all about increasing your post numbers!!!!!