USF Athletics

Best Friends Kean, Oladokun Making Each Other Better in QB Battle

March 27, 2018

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MARCH 27, 2018 – Bulls are battling for starting spots across the board this spring and there's no question about which position has the most eyes on it heading into 2018.

With Quinton Flowers prepping for his shot in the pros, the keys to Sterlin Gilbert's high-powered offense are open for the taking with quarterbacks Brett Kean and Chris Oladokun each stating their case for starter status each practice.

"Both of those guys throw the ball well with accuracy," Gilbert said after Tuesday's practice. "They can touch any part of the field."

Both quarterbacks did just that in the first scrimmage action of the spring last Saturday and it's clear they have a great understanding of the system. Year two of Gilbert's up-tempo attack is showing the training wheels are off, which really lets both quarterbacks show what they can do in real game situations.

"This time last year, we're still installing things and getting things together as an offense," said Oladokun, now a redshirt sophomore. "Now coach calls a play and we know exactly what to do. Coach Gilbert has really harped on this in year two, so everything should be moving faster, which it has."

What won't happen fast is the decision on which quarterback will start. Just when you think one signal-caller is gaining a step, the other comes right back with a game-changing play.

"One thing they weren't able to do last season was get many reps at all. Let's take this thing all the way through and get as many reps as you can," Gilbert said. "Give both of those guys action and live looks and just continue to get experience. That's what going all the way through spring will do. That's what going all the way through summer camp will do."

What USF's quarterbacks won't do is bicker back and forth about the process, no matter how long it takes to unfold.

"We're still best friends through this whole thing," said Kean, now a junior. "It's not like we're competing and I don't talk to him anymore, or we're competing and we're arguing off the field or something. We're competing on the field, we love it and we're still helping each other."

Friendly competition at quarterback is proving to really help USF's offense go full speed ahead this spring and Gilbert says a starter will stand out in due time.

"It's the eighth practice, or the seventh practice, or whatever it might be, the 10^th practice. At some point, it just happens and one of those guys will do that at some point," Gilbert said. "That's just kind of the natural way that it's always been. Right now, both of those guys are doing a really great job. They're both highly competitive and two guys that really benefit off each other's knowledge."

Bay Made Oladokun Is Living His Dream
Tampa's own Chris Oladokun said playing for USF is a "dream come true" after following the Bulls as a kid at Raymond James Stadium.

"I remember sitting at USF games when I was a kid. I remember being at the West Virginia game when Pat White was the quarterback," he said. "At that time, I was 7 or 8 years old and now to be on this team and be a part of this program, it's a blessing. I'm just living my dream every single day."

Now a redshirt sophomore, Oladokun wants to make his starting dream come to fruition this upcoming season and the dual threat is using all of his tools in an attempt to win the job. Aside from his passing accuracy all over the field, Oladokun prides himself on his elusiveness outside the pocket, which has led to numerous touchdown runs this spring.

"I really feel like that's a strong part of my game and I'm even continuing to start to get better with that," he said. "I talk to (Flowers) on just making people miss in one-on-one situations and things like that – when to run the ball and when not to run the ball."

Oladokun said he talks to Flowers up to four times a week and appreciates the advice from USF's former quarterback who owns 42 program records.

"He's told me a thousand times, 'Don't try to be me. Just go out and try to be yourself because yourself is enough,'" Oladokun said.

Being himself helped Oladokun throw for more than 5,000 yards and 57 touchdown passes in his prep career at Sickles and Alonso High School. Doing similar things as a starting Bull would be a proud chapter in the career of a promising collegiate quarterback that's dedicated to the Bay.

"It would mean the world to me, and not even me, to the city of Tampa and to my teammates," Oladokun said. "It's just a blessing to be here and everything I have right now is because of the city of Tampa."

Battle-Tested Kean Is All About Competition
Competing for a position is nothing new to Brett Kean, who earned the right to become Quinton Flowers' backup the past two seasons.

"I've kind of been battling my whole life in different competitions," he said. "Nothing has ever really been handed to me, so I love it. I kind of knew what to expect."

Now a junior, Kean is the most battle-tested quarterback on the field at USF with 13 games of experience after proving himself at two different high schools. Kean began his prep career at University High School in Fort Lauderdale before leading St. Edward High School, one of the nation's top-ranked programs, to Ohio state title games in his final two seasons as a starter.

In two starting seasons at St. Edward, Kean showcased his arm with 5,231 passing yards and 56 touchdowns, capping off his prep career with a state title as a senior. At USF, Kean is constantly showing he can be a dual threat this spring and he's embracing the starting battle with best friend Oladokun.

"Competition is everything. You play a highly competitive sport and you have to love it," Kean said. "You have to wake up every day and love the fact that you're competing. You wouldn't want it any other way."

Gilbert Likes Going Faster in Year Two
Seventh-year collegiate offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert is no stranger to moving around.

The Texas native has already coached at five different college programs and 2018 will mark just the second time the coordinator has been at the same spot for consecutive seasons. Gilbert coached at Eastern Illinois from 2012-13 before single-season stints with Bowling Green, Tulsa and Texas before arriving at USF.

"It's a good feeling. You're not, so to say, laying down the concrete and everything," said Gilbert of offensive system continuity. "The base and foundation is already there and you're just building on it. When you're not, you've got to go back and mix the concrete and you're laying the slab."

Year one of Gilbert's up-tempo approach at USF produced strong results with the Bulls ranking in the top 25 of eight national stat categories. USF ranked in the top 10 in total offense (6th, 513.0 ypg), rushing offense (8th, 264.1 ypg), scoring offense (10th, 38.3 ppg) and interceptions thrown (8th, 6 total) on top of the Bulls' 513 yards per game setting a new program season record.

With head coach Charlie Strong's entire primary coaching staff back, Gilbert had the luxury of picking up where he left off, which happened right away at spring practice.

"It's fun to come out here like day 1. You're not coaching coaches and coaching kids, and going all the way back over the basics," Gilbert said. "When we came out here day 1, you're really talking fundamentals, technique and then scheme-wise, you're just kind of getting an opportunity to roll. That part of it is fun and has been good for our guys as well."

Bulls Bits

• WELCOME BACK, WILCOX: After missing time last week with an injury, tight end Mitchell Wilcox was a force in Tuesday's practice with five catches early in 11-on-11 and seven-on-seven action. The junior from Tarpon Springs, Fla., started with a 60-yard reception and capped off his impressive return with a 3-yard touchdown catch on a pass from Chris Oladokun. "(Wilcox is) a guy that we're really excited about. He's had a really good spring," Sterlin Gilbert said. "He's gained some strength, bulked up a little bit. He just has great feel for the game and understanding of where he fits in our pass game. The thing you love about him is he brings physicality to the run game as well. He doesn't mind mixing it up on our inside stuff and power."
• BULLS BACK AFTER PRO DAY: Former USF standouts Quinton Flowers and Deadrin Senat were back at the Morsani Complex to support the Bulls on Tuesday, a day after both shined at USF Pro Day. Learn more about the Bulls' performances for NFL scouts HERE.

Up Next
USF continues spring practice with its second session of the week Thursday morning 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.
 
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