We’ve turned the page on the Bulls’ 2020 class to focus on Jeff Scott’s second recruiting class for 2021 as USF’s head honcho. We kick things off with two 2021 commitments and recap all recruiting news including players entering the transfer portal and the addition of a preferred walk-on. Without further ado, let’s dive into trail talk!
OLB CJ Ross 1st Bull to Commit
The Scoop:
Committed to the Bulls on February 1st via Twitter, OLB CJ Ross out of Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, FL) is not ranked by 247Sports at this time. Ross currently holds offers from Wake Forest, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, FIU, and Liberty to name a few.
The Verdict:
If you followed how the 2020 class turned out, you might’ve noticed that the only LB that was added was OLB Levontae Camiel. With that being said, this comes as no surprise that CJS and staff are looking to add bodies here. Ross is a fast and physical linebacker, a perfect fit for a defense that is looking to get faster especially at that position. Great first commitment to the class with more on the horizon as recruiting picks up heading into the spring and summer months.
ILB Davon Hicks 2nd Commit On Board
The Scoop:
Committed to the Bulls on February 16th via Twitter, ILB Davon Hicks out of Vero Beach (Fort Pierce, FL) became the 2nd commit to the 2021 class along with being the 2nd LB on board. Rated as the 35th best ILB in the 2021 class according to 247Sports, Hicks currently holds offers from Iowa State, FAU, Colorado State, Western Michigan, and Coastal Carolina to name a few.
The Verdict:
The same verdict for Ross applies here with Hicks. LB is a position that HAS to be a priority for this class and clearly that is the goal here. Same player profile as Ross where both are fast and physical LBs that fly around the field looking to make plays. The goal for the staff is to keep both (obviously) and look to add another 1-2 LBs when it’s all said and done to increase their talent + numbers at the ILB/OLB positions. Nice start to the class though, especially at linebacker!
Jah’Quez Evans Back to WR
Per Joey Knight on Twitter, Jah’Quez Evans has expressed interest in going back to WR after taking snaps behind center during the 2019 season. I’m excited to see what he can do at WR having both spring and fall camp to get comfortable at the position, being that Evans wanted to move to WR last fall before the 2019 season kicked off. The talent is there for Evans to be a factor on the outside (Just see ECU 2019 at QB), but the question is how soon can Evans learn the finer things of the position before making an impact at WR. My bet is sooner rather than later with the only thing stopping him is the number of players already at WR heading into 2020. Keep your eyes peeled on Evans and the rest of the WR room as this will be a position to watch before Texas in September.
OLB Trey Laing Enters the Transfer Portal
Announced on Twitter February 25th, OLB Trey Laing has officially entered the transfer portal, becoming Jeff Scott’s first player to do so since taking the job last December. From his first team meeting earlier this year, Scott told the players “If you enter the portal, it’s a one-way door“, so I wouldn’t expect Laing back with that philosophy in place. I spoke to several USF fans about who I saw as a possible transfer candidates heading into the 2020 season and Laing was one of them due to his limited action on the field since joining the program in 2018. I was excited to see Laing during spring camp to see how he developed under new strength & conditioning coach Trumain Carroll along with seeing where he stood in the LB room after camp ended, but c’est la vie. Nonetheless, we wish Trey nothing but the best wherever he ends up and a big thank you for being apart of this team and this university the last two seasons! Salute!
Another PWO WR Joining the Bulls Program
Credit to Rob Steeg for confirming the news, but it looks like WR Garret Reynolds out of Lake Wales, FL will be joining the Bulls program later this year as a preferred walk-on once fall camp begins. If my numbers are correct, this makes 3 confirmed walk-on’s since early February including WR Michael Cucci and OC David Anderton. Welcome to the Bulls Garret!
DT Sione Tuitupou Enters the Transfer Portal
In one of the more surprising players to transfer from the program in awhile, DT Sione Tuitupou entered the transfer portal on Monday, making him the second player to transfer under Jeff Scott thus far. Bulls247 was the first to break the news via Twitter with Joey Knight reporting that “… Tuitupou is returning to his home state for family reasons” later in the day. We hope that all is well back home and wish Sione nothing but the best for both him and his family moving forward. Once a Bull, always a Bull!
Leave your thoughts and comments below and be sure to tune in later this month when I cover the biggest needs/wants for the 2021 recruiting class!
| Name | Pos. | School | 247 | Rivals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davon Hicks | ILB | Vero Beach (Vero Beach, FL) | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | CJ Ross | OLB | Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, FL) | N/A | 5.5 |