The folks at 247sports.com did a heavy lift on the all-time recruiting by college football teams, including the Bulls247 site on USF.
They listed them in order of how they ranked. It’s important to know that it wasn’t in the order of how they produced at USF, just how highly rated they were coming in.
Here’s how they listed the top 10. The comments underneath are mine after looking at several college football sites, including GoUSFBulls.com.
- Ryne Giddens, DE, (Seffner) Armwood High School, High School Class of 2009
Notables: CSTV National High School Defensive Player of the Year and USA Today and Parade Magazine first-team All-America. At USF, Giddens had 118 combined tackles, one interception, four forced fumbles, and 19.5 sacks.
2. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Fort Scott CC, Class of 2009.
Notables: He only played one season for USF before forgoing his senior season and declaring for the NFL draft. While at USF, Pierre-Paul had 45 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and 6.5 sacks. He was the 15th overall pick by the New York Giants in 2010. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bucs for four seasons, including the Super Bowl-winning team in 2021.
3. Terrance Mitchell, CB, Tampa Hillsborough High School, Class of 2010
Notables: He was a versatile player in three seasons for the Bulls, playing as a wide receiver and defensive back until concentrating on receiving. Legal problems short-circuited his career, and then-coach Willie Taggart suspended him indefinitely before the start of the 2013 season. He never played for the Bulls again.
4. Sean Price, TE, Citra North Marion High School, Class of 2012
Notables: He came to USF after a stellar prep career that earned him a spot in the Under Armour All-American game. He was ranked as the fourth-best TE in the nation. He had a solid career with the Bulls and was second-team All-AAC in 2015.
5. Todd Chandler, DT, Miami Northwestern, Class of 2010
Notables: Rivals.com rated him the 20th-best defensive tackle coming out of high school. He had an up-and-down career with USF, with 10 starts and appearing in 36 career game. He had 75 tackles and 15 tackles for loss in his career.
6. D`vario Montgomery, WR, Winter Park High School, Class of 2012
Notables: He was rated the top wide receiver in the Orlando Sentinel’s Super 60 coming out of high school, but his career at USF didn’t live up to the hype. He played only the 2012 season with USF, totaling six catches for 65 yards before he transferred to Iowa State. After two seasons, he moved on to the Toledo Rockets for his final season.
7. Mike Ford, RB, Hargrave Military Academy, Class of 2007
Notables: He came to USF after a record-setting career at Sarasota High School, which earned him a 5-star recruiting rating. He originally committed to Alabama, but low test scores led him to spend a year at the Hargrave Military Academy. From there, he signed with USF, where he rushed for 1,502 yards and 23 touchdowns during his three seasons with the Bulls. Then-coach Skip Holtz dismissed him from the team in 2012 for unspecified rules violations. Tragically, Ford died in 2024 following a construction accident.
8. Bradley Battles, ATH, Mariana High School, Class of 2009
Notables: He came to USF despite offers from Maryland, Colorado, Iowa State, and Kentucky. He played sparingly with the Bulls at running back, totaling 17 carries for 59 yards in three seasons. He was suspended for parts of each season at USF, the last time by new coach Willie Taggart in 2013.
9. David Bedford, DE, Independence CC, Class of 2008
Notables: After arriving at USF following a season in junior college, Bedford played sparingly his first two years before recording a solid final year in 2012. He started all 13 games that season and had 38 combined tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble.
10. Jonathan Echols, TE, IMG Academy, Class of 2024
Notables: Echols is the lone 4-star recruit during Alex Golesh’s three prep recruiting classes. His freshman season in 2024 was cut short by off-season surgery following his career at IMG. He chose USF over multiple Power 4 offers, including Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Oklahoma, and LSU. He played in only two games for the Bulls and had one catch, but he made it count. It went for a 59-yard touchdown against Tulsa.
Addendum: Here are a few more names that appeared outside the top 10.
Long-time USF fans will recognize Andre Hall (ranked 13th) out of Dixie Hollins High School in St. Petersburg.
He set numerous rushing records while with the Bulls from 2004-05. He rushed for 2,731 yards and 27 touchdowns during his 23-game career.
No true USF fan can forget Quinton Flowers (ranked 16th). I would have had him much higher on this list. He chose USF over offers from Alabama, Nebraska, Florida, Miami, Texas, Tennessee, and many others. He had 42 USF career, season, or game records.
Izzy Carter (ranked 28th) came to USF with some acclaim in Alex Golesh’s first class but didn’t see the field much in two seasons with the Bulls. He left in the transfer portal after last season and signed with Norfolk State.