USF football received some positive publicity on how the Bulls fared in ESPN’s national recruiting rankings, along with Alex Golesh’s grade among second-year Group of 5 coaches.
In ranking the top 75 overall recruiting classes, ESPN placed USF nationally, behind only American Athletic Conference rival Memphis (ranked 46th) among G5 programs. The Bulls were four spots ahead of Boise State, next season’s opening opponent.
Golesh, meanwhile, earned a B- grade from CBS Sports for his efforts last season. Given all the adversity the Bulls faced before finishing 7-6 with a bowl win over San Jose State, I would have bumped it up to a B.
“Golesh's second season at South Florida looked exactly like the first. The Bulls went 7-6 overall, with a 4-4 mark in conference, and finished the year with a bowl win. However, the vibes are higher heading into the offseason because the Bulls finished the year with five wins in their last seven games, which helped erase some of the sting of blowout losses to Alabama, Miami, Tulane and Navy,” CBS concluded.
“South Florida is still a program that wants to compete for conference titles, so Golesh will have to show improvement in the AAC soon.”
That seems like a fair assessment, and it’s much better than Charlotte’s Biff Poggi and FAU’s Tom Herman, who both received Fs and were fired in mid-season. UAB’s Trent Dilfer clocked in at D- and enters the 2025 season and a seat that’s not just hot, but is engulfed in flames.
Another pair of second-year AAC coaches fared better. Navy’s Brian Newberry received a much-deserved A for finishing 10-3. Not only that, the Midshipmen clubbed Army 31-13 and took a bowl victory over Oklahoma.
Eric Morris of North Texas received a C grade after finishing 6-7 following a 5-1 start. Morris is 11-14 in two seasons, so he should check the room temperature for excessive heat in the upcoming season.
ESPN gave Golesh high marks for his recruiting efforts.
“This is a deep class for South Florida with a few gems like Jeremiah Koger, who has excellent size and speed measurables. He possesses good length with a solid frame and has room to add. Jermichael Gillis is a tall, rangy athlete who lines up at safety and covers ground with good top end speed,” ESPN recruiting analyst Craig Haupert concluded.
“Up front, Caleb Harris is a physical and mobile OT with good length and a frame to add body mass. On the defensive front, Brooks Williams has similar upside with his long frame and speed off the edge.”
Considering what the talent pool looked like when Golesh replaced Jeff Scott for the 2023 season, USF football has made huge strides in rebuilding a shattered program.
The Bulls have added depth and beef up front on both sides of the line. It’s keeping with Golesh’s stated mission of building a program, not just a team