Why Tennessee Transfer Gaston Moore Is Quickly Climbing USF’s QB Depth Chart

All signs are pointing to newcomer Gaston Moore becoming the No. 2 quarterback on USF’s depth chart behind starter Byrum Brown.

Head coach Alex Golesh didn’t come right out and say that during his media briefing Tuesday, but the way he raved about Moore’s impact and character since transferring last month from Tennessee seemed to leave little doubt where Moore stands.

Golesh and co-offensive coordinator Kodi Burns coached Moore at Tennessee. The Bulls run a fast-paced offense similar to the Vols.

“He's so much further ahead than honestly we could have ever hoped for. We knew he knew the system, if you might, but the verbiage is all different,” Golesh said.

“We've evolved so much from the last time I was with him in the last two years at his previous place. They (Tennessee) evolved different from when I was there. And so honestly, I didn't know what we were getting in terms of physically ready to play, mentally ready to play. Give Gaston a ton of credit. He stayed in shape. He kept throwing, kept working with his quarterback coach.”

Moore had just taken a full-time job in Charleston, S.C. when Golesh called following strong endorsements from Burns and Joel Gordon, the offensive coordinator/quarterback coach.

The Bulls were in the market for a veteran after last year’s backup, Bryce Archie, decided in July to forego his final season of football to sign with the Cincinnati Reds. None of the other quarterbacks on the roster has ever thrown a pass in a college football game.

“The part that I think we've all been really impressed with, which gives us a ton of confidence, is the way he has carried himself,” Golesh said.

“His question when he was coming in was, like, where do I start on the depth chart? My answer was at the bottom. You're gonna have to come in and earn like everyone else. I ever handed you something, I’d lose all credibility here. And he literally went last, moved up, moved up, moved up, and has really competed and pushed Byrum. When I say push by him, they are attached at the hip, everywhere they go.”

Moore doesn’t have a ton of playing experience. During three full seasons at Tennessee, he played in only 13 games. Still, that’s more than anyone on the roster besides Brown.

The way he quickly blended in to the USF locker room has been impressive.

“He's a really cool dude. I knew I liked him the first time I talked to him, when the first thing he talked to me about was fishing. He's like, I hear you like fishing. He's going to be a good friend of mine, so we've got some dates set up to go out and do stuff like that,” center Cole Best said.

“He comes in the same dude every day. Just pours into his teammates. He's always got a positive attitude. He just works really, really hard, and he instantly gained respect from his peers and his coaches.”

But the acid test would come if Brown had to leave a game. I mean, it did happen last year. Archie had to step in for the second half of the season and went 5-3 as a starter.

“Of there was a situation where we gotta, we gotta go to Gas, (I have) 100 percent confidence that we can do everything that we can do with Byrum. That’s because he's proved it. And to be honest, with even more importance than confidence for me, his teammates adore him. He’s been here for a month, and his teammates respect him, adore him.

“It's because of the way he works, the way his demeanor is, and he's relatable. He's really, really easy to communicate and talk to.”