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TAMPA ? The University of South Florida football program announced a highly-touted signing class that is filled with defensive standouts and top-flight speed.
In the simplest measure, the class fills holes on the USF roster, which has more returning offensive players than defensive players. The USF staff signed 15 defensive players, 12 offensive players and two standouts that will come in as an athletes.
On the national level, USF's signing class has been widely considered the best haul in program history. It has been ranked as the best in the BIG EAST by Rivals.com and No. 30 nationally. ESPN.com has the Bulls at No. 24 nationally and second among conference schools, while Scout has USF No. 25 nationally.
Of the defensive players signed, seven players are on the defensive line, including four defensive ends and four-star recruit Ryne Giddens. Giddens, who attends nearby Armwood high school, is a Parade All-American and a consensus top-100 prospect. Also with a boatload of accolades is Fort Scott Community College product Jason Pierre-Paul, who is rated as a five-star recruit and the sixth best junior college recruit in the country. The class of defensive lineman has been rated as high as No. 2 nationally.
The Bulls have lost three starting linebackers to graduation over the last two seasons, including NFL prospects Ben Moffitt and Tyrone McKenzie, but were able to assess those needs by signing four at the position. Terry Parker high school standout Sam Barrington and Georgia product DeDe Lattimore were among the most highly sought after recruits in the class.
The secondary added depth and elite-speed in high school defensive backs Ricardo Dixon and Kayvon Webster, who highlight the group of four in the incoming class.
Offensively, the Bulls add three running backs to a unit that has only four returning letterwinners in 2009. Marianna native Bradley Battles and local products Adaris Bellamy (Dunedin) and Lindsay Lamar (Hillsborough) bring a range of abilities and a ton of accolades from the national recruiting services.
With the graduation of four senior offensive lineman, Coach Leavitt's program assessed the need by signing five offensive lineman, including South Broward high-school mauler Steven Jacques and junior college award winner Carlos Savala.
The stocked wide-receiving pool at USF just got deeper with the addition of 6-1, possession-receiver Sterling Griffin and burner Derrick Hopkins - who is among the fastest track athletes in the high school ranks. Hallandale athlete Victor Marc could land at numerous spots on the USF roster, but is expected to get an early look at wide receiver after working as a quarterback and running back in high school.
The class is rounded out with 6-4 quarterback Isaac Virgin, who has a cannon for an arm and deceptively good feet, and Dixie Hollins high school tight end Gerard Atkins.
As usual, the Bulls stayed in their home state to pull from the nation's deepest talent pool. Of the 29 signees, 27 are originally from the state of Florida, one from Georgia and one from California.
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