USF just wrapped up its third session of official on-campus visits from prep football recruits in the Class of 2027.
Bulls247.com reported that seven would-be USFers got the star treatment. At least one of them -- safety Tony Brown from Fletcher High School in Jacksonville -- was impressed enough to commit.
One of those ones who trusted the process. He always able to take hard coaching without any pushback. USF is getting a kid who loves football and who dont mind hard work. Love ya kid and congrats. All good at the Beach #wejustridethewave https://t.co/Kl8cAoaE3X
— Ciatrick Fason (@Star_ReadyAth) June 14, 2026
That goes along with last week's commitment by Merritt Island quarterback Kevin Verpaele flipped his commitment from Pitt to USF. Bulls247 has him rated at 3-stars while On3.com has him at 4-stars. I will not participate in that debate because, honestly, I think those ratings are subjective and subject to the eye of the beholder.
What's telling, though, is that even after bringing in 41 players for this season through the Transfer Portal, new head coach Bryan Hartline said the foundation of this program will be the recruits he can attract from high school teams.
In an interview with Athlon Sports, Hartline stressed that the philosophy that made him renowned as a recruiter hasn't changed just because he's not at Ohio State anymore.
"I think that if you’re any good at recruiting, they leave better than they showed up, and I think that’s really what it’s all about," he said.
"So my main goal is to maximize people. My main goal is to get the right guys in the building and help them chase their dreams. That game plan and that path hasn’t changed."
The massive use of the portal was thust upon Hartline and his staff after he was hired on December 3 last year. That was the same day that the Early Signing Period opened for 72 hours, and a trio of 3-star players -- QB Rhys Bush, TE Demarcus Broughton Jr.:, and defender Mykall Lundy-Foster -- flipped from USF to Auburn.
That, coupled with the mass exodus of Bulls players to Auburn, left the new USF staff with no choice but to hit the portal and hit it hard.
That won't be repeated (at least on the level USF had to mine the portal) going forward.
"We’ve been even more intentional on roles and purpose, and you know, placing a bet on a successful athlete to be more targeted than you ever have been," Hartline told Athlon.
"Because although some guys can develop quickly, you’re also compensating right off the bat, too. So you know, we’re trying to figure out who are potential players that next year, and who maybe will take a couple years to develop. So it’s like you’d be very much more intentional on high school recruiting than probably ever before."
That makes the commitment of Brown even more interesting. As Bulls247 noted, "Brown has offers from the likes of East Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and Western Kentucky. Last season, Fletcher had 25 total tackles in 7 games along with 5 pass deflections and 1 fumble recovery. He has been a top target at safety despite not having the most extensive offer list and seems to be a player the staff believes is a diamond in the rough."
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