By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, MARCH 20, 2015 – USF's offense has jumped into the fast lane at this point in spring practice and pass-catchers are taking the Bulls on a wild ride to the end zone.
Quarterbacks are distributing the ball quickly and USF's playmakers are making highlight-reel catches by the day. Friday's session featured a deep touchdown grab by Ryeshene Bronson and the group as a whole has been taking turns grabbing coaches' attention.
“It's a wide receiver's dream,” said A.J. Legree, a Kentucky transfer who redshirted last season, of the new up-tempo offense.
USF certainly misses record-breaking wide receiver Andre Davis but the Bulls' group of young receivers is showing the future is bright. Up-and-coming talent includes Bronson, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Fort Myers, who hauled in a 75-yard touchdown catch against NC State last season.
“I like the intensity and the tempo at practice. I feel like we're going to be really good this year,” Bronson said.
Another young receiver making plays on a daily basis this spring is redshirt freshman Stanley Clerveaux, a former three-star recruit out of North Miami High Schoool.
“When Stanley steps onto the field, he's ready to play,” Bronson said. “He sat out last year and he's really hungry. Stanley says he wants to put his name out there.”
Chase Whitehead is a name mentioned a lot this spring with the way the walk-on redshirt freshman has been performing at the Morsani Football Complex.
“I do catch/drop charts every day and I think he's our leader there, Chase is Mr. Reliable,” wide receivers coach Ron Dugans said. “He's been Mr. Dependable for me and I think he's going to do a really good job for us to help the ball club.”
The most proven receiver on the roster is Rodney Adams, who is picking up where he left off in 2014. The junior from St. Petersburg ranked third on the team last season in catches (23), second in yards (323) and proved to be a great option in the run game on reverses.
USF's up-tempo style gives Adams more opportunities to shine and the former all-state selection out of Lakewood High School said the Bulls' new offense fits the personnel well.
“It's really fun and the defense can't keep up sometimes. It keeps them on their toes,” Adams said.
After the graduation of Davis, USF needed a new veteran to step up as a leader and the Bulls' receivers have been learning a lot from Adams.
“Rodney has always been a leader. Rodney sets the tone every practice,” Bronson said.
USF added more experience at receiver by signing Legree last year. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound junior is providing the Bulls with more versatility this spring after starting his collegiate career at Kentucky. Legree is used to the up-tempo style of play from his days as a Wildcat and chose USF over other big-name programs in the state.
“One thing about Coach (Willie) Taggart that always stuck with me is his demeanor and how he carries himself. Then they added Coach Dugans, so that put the icing on the cake for me,” Legree said.
USF put together the top-rated recruiting class in the American Athletic Conference for the second consecutive year and the receiver position will get more playmakers in the fall. New Bulls on the roster will include Chris Barr (Jacksonville), Deangelo Antoine (Orlando), Jarvis Baxter (Garland, Texas) and Tampa native Jordan Reed, who produced a lot for Plant High School at receiver in addition to leading Hillsborough County in punt return yards last year.
Checking In on the Tight Ends
Tight end is another important position in the new USF offense and senior Sean Price is taking the lead this spring. The Citra, Fla., native has racked up 21 starts in 34 games the past three seasons and North Marion High School's all-time receiving yards leader is preparing himself for a big year ahead.
“Price is doing a really good job,” Dugans said. “He's gotten better and you've got some young guys taking their role and they're running with it.”
Marlon Pope (Hattiesburg, Miss.) returns for his senior season and the position is bolstered with redshirt freshman Elkanah Dillon (Ocala., Fla.) and sophomore Spencer Adkinson (Seminole, Fla.). Dugans said the Bulls' tight ends are also progressing nicely in the new attack.
“Everything happens faster. You've got to process the information, communicate the information and be ready to roll,” Dugans said. “It comes from the classroom, walkthroughs and then they have to take it to the field.”
A Look Ahead
The USF equipment staff was hard at work after Friday's practice to get the Bulls ready for their road trip to Lakeland. USF will be training at Bryant Stadium on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m., and fans are welcome to attend the session..
“It's fun just to get away and get some of our alums in that community to come out and watch our football team,” Taggart said. “A lot of times they read about it online and they hear about things. It will give them an opportunity to come out of their houses and come out to watch the Bulls to see where they've gotten better.”
The USF Football program completed its 18th season and 15th at the FBS level in 2014. The Bulls have made six bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 23 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
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