The connection between USF quarterback Byrum Brown and receiver Sean Atkins last season was obvious. It sometimes seemed like those two were playing pitch and catch with each other, and the statistics bore that out.
Atkins caught 92 of Brown’s 276 completed passes. That’s only one less than the Bulls’ next three receivers – Naieem Simmons (39), Khafre Brown (27), and Michael Brown-Stephens (27) – combined.
Atkins, Simmons, and Brown-Stephens are back; Brown left for Arkansas.
No denigration of the other targets from last season is intended, but the Bulls’ receiving room heading into 2024 looks significantly deeper. Brown should have many more choices of where he wants to throw the ball, which, in turn, could kick USF’s already hyper-quick offense into a higher gear.
“You know, there's that that room is really interesting,” head coach Alex Golesh said.
He mentioned Stevens, a two-year starter at Minnesota but battled injuries. Abdur-Rahmann Yaseen transferred this spring from Purdue and has two years of eligibility left.
“He’s upped his game,” Golesh said. “Been really impressive as he's learned the offense. You got a guy, Josh Hardeman, who was a two-year starter at Wyoming, and who we tried to get here a year ago. He ended up going to Houston, he started week one and got hurt there a year ago. He's pushing everybody in that room like these are experienced dudes who have played a ton of football.”
But he wasn’t done.
“You throw in Jacob Smith in the mix, and you still have Tyree Kelly, who you bring along, Keyshawn Singleton, who you're bringing along,” he said. “And so you feel like you've got some more depth. And you throw in a guy like Brandon Whitten, who's uber, uber talented, who, again, creates a ton of competition in there. So you feel like you've got depth.”
This doesn’t even include the tight end room, which should be a strength.
Oh, and Atkins is back for another go.
That’s how a program gets built.
The transfer portal can transform depth into a deficit with the click of a computer mouse, so it pays to stock up on good players and sort out the playing time later. That may be the single biggest story about USF heading into the season.
A year ago, Golesh and the staff were new, and the roster was thin. There wasn’t much depth to begin with, and injuries chipped away at that.
But now, the Bulls look like they can withstand the inevitable injuries that crop up during a long season. It also means Brown can spread the ball around and create more matchup nightmares for opponents.
With so many options, who should he throw to?
It’s a nice problem to have.