One thing immediately stood out about Lakeland Christian quarterback Brody Brenneman after his commitment to join USF in 2027. The Bulls will have someone who brings an incredibly mature attitude to USF to go along with his obvious skill as a player.
And despite USF's crowded quarterback room, he is ready to compete.
In an interview with Jason Stamm of On3.com, Brenneman didn't talk about potential playing time. The subject of NIL money never came up. And even though the Bulls recently received a commitment from 4-star Merritt Island High QB Kevin Verpaele, Brenneman was resolute: USF is where he wanted to be.
 “A big thing is (CEO of athletics) Rob Higgins and (chief operating officer) Derrick Brooks, what they have planned for the university moving up,” Brenneman said. “Then it’s (head coach) Brian Hartline, (quarterback coach) Mike Hartline, and (offensive coordinator) Tim Beck. I agree with everything they have going on, with the play style and development, proven ness, everything they have going on. It’s really someplace I know I’ll get developed and play big time football.”
The Bulls land their second quarterback commitment of the 2027 class in Brody Brenneman. https://t.co/HnMwSiYibD
— Mackenzie Neglia (@MackenzieNeglia) June 15, 2026
A good sign: Brenneman will graduate in December from Lakeland Christian so he can enroll at USF in time for spring practice.
"Kevin and I talked a few times now,” he said. “We know it’ll be a competition off the rip and we’re excited for it. It’s been brief, over text. He reached out a few days before he committed. We talked then, along with the day of his commit. He text me after he heard. We’ve started the conversation and been in contact.”
It's highly likely 2027 will be a redshirt season for Brenneman and probably for Verpaele too. With four veteran quarterbacks on the roster -- including Michael Van Buren and Luke Kromenhoek with SEC experience -- there will be time for both freshmen to acclimate to life in Division I college football.
“In college football, in the quarterback room, you’ll compete with five guys no matter what,” Brenneman said. “There’s always competition in the room. They were transparent and said they were taking two quarterbacks. Taking two Florida boys is good. That continues to grow the culture with homegrown talent. Competition is great for everyone. It brings out the best in everybody and everyone will grow from it.”
He isn't waiting to arrive on campus before he starts adapting to the demands of college football.
“Big picture-wise, I need to get stronger, get college ready instead of high school ready,” he said. “I’ll likely be eight to 10 pounds heavier with my upper body. I’ll continue to develop throwing-wise. I wanna grow my ability to throw to the left. That’s an inconsistency.
"I haven’t taken many snaps under center and USF works under center a lot. I’ll get more with my guys, grow mentally and understand defenses, controlling the huddle. I won’t walk in there being a rookie completely. I wanna be prepared and ready to work."
The fact that USF is about 45 minutes from Lakeland didn't hurt. The Bulls aren't just getting a quarterback. Team Brenneman is part of the package.
 “My family fell in love with the place while we were (at USF),” he said. “My host was (assistant quarterbacks coach) Trey Holtz, who’s a great person. We fell in love with him and the facility," he said.
"It came down to football and where I can grow as a man. My family can grow, too. It’s a place my family thinks is right for me, great football-wise, but where I can grow as a human being.”
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