USF football scoring big wins again in the battle for recruits

Since taking over as USF’s head football coach, Alex Golesh has often repeated that no one will outwork him, his staff, or his players.

While many coaches make similar claims, the results of Golesh's approach are evident. The latest testament to this is the Bulls' impressive standing in the national recruiting rankings for 2025.

His mantra, “Come to the Bay, stay in the Bay,” seems to be resonating in the cutthroat world of recruiting.

The Bulls comfortably lead the American Athletic Conference rankings from Rivals.com and 247sports.com. They’re in the top 50 nationally in the 247 rankings and also lead the Group of 5 schools.

They’re becoming a force in Florida recruiting, too, which has long been a struggle for USF. Of their 20 prep commitments so far, 10 are in-state players, and two are from Tampa – tight end Ben Cole of Alonso High, safety Jeremiah Jones of Sumner High in Riverview,

On Monday, USF secured a significant victory in its recruiting efforts. Jermichael Gillis, a highly sought-after defensive back from Lakeland High School, committed to the team. Despite offers from Power 5 schools North Carolina State, Michigan State, Colorado, LSU, and Maryland, Gillis chose USF.

The Bulls have 12 commitments this month, and while it’s not official until a player enrolls in school, it’s definitely a positive sign.

It starts with an attitude that USF has something to offer and shouldn’t back away from recruiting anyone, no matter how many stars they have on their profile if Golesh believes they’re a fit for his program.

It’s the old adage: Make them tell you no. Fewer recruits are doing that these days.

"You can always work harder than someone else. It's a choice. In recruiting, you can write one more letter, send one more text, make one more FaceTime call, make the relationship even stronger,” he told Joey Johnston, Senior Writer for GoUSFBulls.com last August.

“You can still outwork people. You can still out-scheme people. Other things might change, but I don't think those things ever will.”