In USF's secondary, free safety Tavin Ward has a huge responsibility

As the free safety for the USF football team, senior Tavin Ward is more than just the last line of defense. It’s his job to see the whole field, to get the secondary lined up, and to communicate with the linebackers.

All of this happens before the snap.

Then, by the way, he will most likely be matched up against a slot receiver. On many teams, the slot is their best pass-catcher.

“You never know which play is going to win the game,” he said. “Just keep fighting and keep going. And you have to have a next-play mentality. Even if it's something good, you just move on.”

Take his performance against San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl for an example of what that means. He had a career-high 10 tackles and returned a spectacular interception 29 yards.

Ward began his USF career as a reserve cornerback but was switched to free safety to make better use of his skill set.

“I feel it if I'm able to use my range more. I feel like at the corner, it was more focused on one person, while at the safety, I'm back. I can see the whole picture,” he said.

“It's just a bigger picture. It's more information-taking, for sure.”

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando appreciated Ward’s approach to the position change.

“Tavin is doing a really good job -- he's come miles. You know, he made the transition, the cool part about it is he didn't even flinch when we asked him to do it,” Orlando said.

“He could play (against) slot receivers. He's got really good range, and he's physical. One thing about him is that he is steady and consistent. I love that about him. He's playing with a lot of confidence.”

Interestingly, Ward was also a quarterback at North Fort Myers High School. As a senior, Ward led his team to an 8-0 record in the COVID-19-shortened season.

After graduating from North Fort Myers, Ward attended Palmetto Prep in 2021 to keep his recruitment open. He chose USF after offers from Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Samford, South Alabama, Western Carolina, and Youngstown State.

“I was a corner there, and the transition wasn't hard at all because I already understood offenses,” he said. “I kind of had a jump on that.”

Ward is one of eight regular starters returning on defense, but there are also several new faces who could make a substantial impact. In the secondary alone, Jonas Duclona (Wisconsin) and Boogsie Silvera (McNeese State) figure to see a lot of playing time.

Freshman safety Jabari Smith is another player to watch.

Helping them adjust to new teammates and surroundings puts more on Ward’s plate, and increases the intensity of spring practice.

“You know, jobs are open, so we're competing against one another, some young guys coming in, some very, very nice young guys, like Jabari in my position,” Ward said.

“He's very comfortable in his position. I feel like he's pushing me to be a better safety, and I'm pushing him to be a better safety as well. So the competition is still there.”