USF Athletics

Camp Quick Hits: Gilbert's Offense Packed With Playmakers

August 05, 2018

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, AUG. 5, 2018 – Sterlin Gilbert's up-tempo attack helped USF once again rank among the top-10 offenses nationally in 2017 and the Bulls are still going full speed ahead through three fall camp practices.

With six returners back, USF's offense has been getting rapid-fire reps and the biggest observation so far has been the plethora of playmakers the Bulls have at the skill positions.

"There's a lot of talent over there at receiver, at running back, at the tight end spot," Gilbert said Sunday. "We've got a lot of really good players and we've just got to continue to get better."

Getting better is a bit easier this fall with 20 experienced lettermen returning for year two of Gilbert's progressing offense that most Bulls now have down pat.

"It's really advantageous for the young guys that are coming in because they're getting to see guys do it right on tape. They're hearing and understanding the language," Gilbert said.

Although USF's offensive line and skill positions have plenty of starting experience, the Bulls are looking for a new quarterback to replace record-breaking Quinton Flowers, who is now a Cincinnati Bengal. The camp battle between Chris Oladokun (Tampa), Brett Kean (Lakewood, Ohio) and Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.) has been a good one so far and all three will get plenty of opportunities to win the job this fall.

"What we're going to do is just continue to work and rotate those guys. We're nowhere close to making a decision on that," Gilbert said. "I really have not set a time frame on it. We're just trying to get guys to knock the rust back off and get back into the groove of things. That's what we've been able to do over the last three days."

Camp Quick Hits

• BULLS GET SPECIAL VISITORS: Ahead of his first official day on the job, USF Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly was at Sunday's first padded practice of the fall to support head coach Charlie Strong's football program. USF head baseball coach Billy Mohl also was in attendance.
• DILE HEADS BACK TO CAMPUS: The Bulls got a big boost on Sunday seeing former USF standout offensive lineman Marc Dile, who played for the program from 2005-08. Dile went on suit up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent his final three pro seasons in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2012-15. Back on campus and close to his Riverview home, Dile was impressed by the growth of USF's facilities, the Bulls' new adidas gear and the team's intensity. "I love what I see. I love the aggressiveness. I love the work that I'm seeing right now," he said. Dile also loves the direction the program is heading after consecutive double-digit win seasons and a pair of bowl victories over Power Five foes. "To know the grind that it took to get this program to where it is right now and to keep it at this steady pace, that's the No. 1 goal and these guys are doing a phenomenal job," Dile said.
• TIGHT ENDS DO DAMAGE: Perhaps the most popular target for quarterbacks at camp so far has been Mackey Award candidate Mitchell Wilcox (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) while younger tight ends are emerging. Freshman Chris Carter (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) covered about 30 yards over the middle on a pass from Brett Kean on Sunday. Kean also found redshirt freshman Frederick Lloyd Jr. (Tifton, Ga.) for a big gain during seven-on-seven action. "We've got a lot of young guys who are very capable," Wilcox said.
• BELL BREAKS OUT: The top offensive play of Sunday belonged to redshirt freshman back Duran Bell Jr. (Tampa) who exploded through a hole, cut to the outside and left defenders in the dust during a 76-yard touchdown run.
• SECONDARY GETS ITS PICKS: Senior secondary leader Ronnie Hoggins Jr. (Coconut Creek, Fla.) intercepted a pass early in Sunday's action and another was made by a freshman. JaJuan Cherry (Okeechobee, Fla.) made a leaping pick on a deep ball near the sideline. Cherry also has been getting work behind Hoggins at the nickel spot.
• PRO SCOUT WATCH: Three NFL teams checked out the Bulls during the first two days of camp and pro attention continued Sunday with a scout from the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

 
Up Next
The Bulls return to the Morsani Football Practice Complex for their fourth session of fall camp Monday at 10 a.m.
 
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 15 teams nationally to win 20-plus games in the last two seasons (21-4) and posted 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 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and had 28 first-team all-conference selections.
 
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