USF O-Line Playing Fast, Having Fun in Year Two Under Mattox
PHOTO GALLERY
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, MARCH 20, 2018 – "Hogs: Move Or Be Moved" is the slogan on T-shirts USF offensive linemen are sporting this spring, which is indicative of the identity the Bulls have created up front.
With three starters returning to a line that's still very deep, USF's confident big guys in the trenches are having fun zooming up and down the field in an up-tempo offense that's become very familiar. Head coach
Charlie Strong's primary staff is all back for year two, including fiery offensive line coach
Matt Mattox, who is very popular with his pupils.
"It's definitely a luxury. With the offensive line coaches that have kind of rotated through here, it's nice to have the same schemes going into year two," junior right guard
William Atterbury said. "I've definitely learned a lot from each individual coach and enjoyed having them, but it is nice to have that same staff back. You know what they want in you and they know what you have to offer as well."
Four sessions into spring practice, Mattox is liking what he's seeing from his line that's picked up right where it left off last season.
Bringing a combined total of 35 starts to the table, Atterbury (Clearwater) and all-conference right tackle
Marcus Norman (Sebastian, Fla.) have stepped up as leaders while starting left tackle
Eric Mayes (Sarasota) continues to make progress in his rehab from offseason surgery to clean some things up. Those three Bulls helped USF rank eighth nationally in rushing offense last season at 264.1 yards per game, which marked the program's third straight year in the top 10.
"I think the biggest thing we're seeing is an understanding of our technique and fundamentals that we've been trying to get across," Mattox said. "They're speaking more of my language and we're talking the same."
USF's offensive line also is moving the way Mattox wants thanks to the Bulls' ability to quickly develop a two-deep this spring. And while Mattox is looking for starters to emerge at center and left guard, the Bulls are confident they'll gel well up front by the fall after forming an even tighter bond since 2017.
"To allow them to continue to develop that personality and the different inside jokes and having fun, it's been an awesome feeling to be around in year two," said Mattox, USF's first returning offensive line coach in the past six seasons.
Norman Becoming the Complete Package
Making 21 straight starts,
Marcus Norman has been a staple of USF's offensive line and now he's becoming the complete package for the Bulls.
Last season, the junior right tackle stepped up to all-conference status after helping USF post consecutive 3,000-yard rushing seasons. Standing tall at 6-foot-6, Norman is moving around even better this spring after shedding nearly 10 pounds during offseason conditioning.
"He's out there, he's killing it and he's leading us," right guard
William Atterbury said. "Everyone looks to him when they're getting tired toward the end of practice."
Leadership has been the latest development in Norman's steady college progress that began as a redshirt freshman in 2015. After playing all 24 games the past two seasons, Norman has set a great example for USF's younger linemen since the start of the offseason.
"For Marcus, his opportunity is now. It's his chance to be kind of the elder statesman on the O-line," offensive line coach
Matt Mattox said. "He took it upon himself to not only show up every day, do all the little things right and be one of our hardest workers, but verbally start expressing that. The team hears him on a daily basis. That's the part we really saw develop with him just the last few months."
For Norman, leadership is all about making his teammates better and keeping the program moving forward, which was a big selling point when he signed with USF.
"It seemed like a good program when I got here," Norman said. "It looked like they were going in the right direction, so I thought I could be a part of it and help make history."
Searching for 'Calmness' at Center
In the mission of replacing the graduated
Cameron Ruff, a 25-game starter at center, USF has been rotating centers on the first-team line this spring.
Sophomore
Michael Wiggs (Lakeland, Fla.) got the bulk of first-team reps Tuesday while he competes with "Hogs" T-shirt creator
Brooks Larkin, a junior from Bradenton. Redshirt freshman
Jean Marcellus (Tampa) has also been providing depth at the position where Coach Mattox is looking for one particular consistent trait.
"I want there to be calmness in the middle," Mattox said. "That's what we're looking for. Obviously the physical tools have to be there, but the communication and the calmness has got to come from our guys inside."
Chef Mattox
Another reason why USF's offensive line is happy to have their 2017 coach back is because of
Matt Mattox's skills on the grill.
Since last spring, Mattox has enjoyed having the big guys up front over to his house for delicious barbeque meals and the menu has grown.
"The last one we had, we went fajita night," Mattox said. "I bought a new flattop griddle to try out, so I was able to do my fajitas, peppers, onions and the steak. I found my new thin-cut ribeye steak now for my beef fajitas. I like the boneless chicken thighs for the chicken part, in case anyone needs a little hookup on the recipe."
USF's offensive linemen are already asking what's next.
"Next time, I think I'll probably get back to the smoker and give the Green Egg a try again," he said with a smile.
Bulls Bits
- 'HOGS' BRING THE FUN: USF's offensive linemen are using their "Hogs" T-shirts as a reminder for the Bulls to play tough and have fun doing it this spring. "It's just something fun, something different," William Atterbury said. "It's about this time of the year that you look forward to the competition, you look forward to the rivalry, but it's the dog days. You don't have a game looming. You don't have anything to necessarily look forward to other than the spring game, so you've got to have a little bit of fun in there."
MACK TRUCKS THROUGH: Several running backs are competing for USF's vacant starting spot and Elijah Mack stole the show Tuesday. Before breaking off a 30-plus yard run, the sturdy 6-foot, 214-pound sophomore bulled right over a defender well past the line for a would-be first down that would send USF fans to their feet at Raymond James Stadium.- QBS HANDLE THE WIND: Quarterbacks Brett Kean (Lakewood, Ohio) and Chris Oladokun (Tampa) continue to battle for the starting spot and dealt well with their surroundings on Tuesday. With a storm approaching, both passers stayed on target in swirling winds. USF's offensive line has been impressed with both quarterbacks moving the offense downfield on a consistent basis after the departure of NFL-bound Quinton Flowers. "It's a pretty smooth adjustment," right tackle Marcus Norman said. "We've all had reps with all the quarterbacks that we have. We just keep rolling on, it's just a fluid system."
Up Next
USF gets its second practice session of the week underway Thursday morning before Saturday's scrimmage at the Morsani Complex.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
USF posted its second straight 10-win season in 2017 (10-2) by winning its second straight Birmingham Bowl with a 38-34 victory over Texas Tech. USF is one of just 14 teams nationally to win 20-plus games in the last two seasons (21-4) and has spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the top 25, reaching as high as No. 13 in Week 8 of the 2017 season. The Bulls have won five of their last six bowl appearances and made nine (6-3) total bowl appearances in 21 seasons, including a current run of three straight bowls. USF won a program-record 11 games in 2016 (11-2) and has posted 14 winning seasons. The USF program, which first took the field in 1997, reached No. 2 in the rankings in 2007 and has seen 28 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and had 32 first-team all-conference selections.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
- #GoBulls –
