USF Athletics

Jean-Mary Sees a Difference in More Seasoned USF Defense

March 23, 2019

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MARCH 23, 2019 – USF football is just two padded practices into spring ball, but defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary already sees a difference in his group from this time last year.

"We have some guys that are returning," he said after practice Saturday. "Even though they're young, they're experienced, so we're able to move a little faster than probably we did last year."

The Bulls have brought back 16 lettermen and five starters from the 2018 squad that pretty much learned as it went at numerous positions filled with freshmen and sophomores. Jean-Mary said USF's first week of four spring practices was "positive" and he credits two starting defensive ends for stepping up right away as seniors.

"Kirk Livingstone and Greg Reaves are doing an unbelievable job," Jean-Mary said. "It's always easier as seniors to lead when you have guys that are coming back as two-year starters. They've done a good job in kind of taking the reins."

While Livingstone and Reaves are seasoned pass-rushers, USF's defensive line also is benefiting from valuable experience inside at tackle. All of a sudden, Kevin Kegler (24 games, 11 starts) and Kelvin Pinkney Jr. (22 games, four starts) are juniors that are even more confident up front with added size.

"They've done a much better job holding the point and really being a wall on the inside for us through our first two padded practices," Jean-Mary said.

Defensive tackle is evolving into a position of strength for the Bulls this spring with new defensive line coach Paul Spicer really pushing USF's battle-tested depth behind Kegler and Pinkney. Sophomores Tyrone Barber (Venice, Fla.) and Rashawn Yates (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) each started at least once last year and have a combined total of 19 games on their college resumes.

Now it's time for Barber and Yates to take the next step under the guidance of an 11-year NFL veteran player and a six-year pro assistant defensive line coach in Spicer.

"They had to step in last year as true freshmen," said Spicer, who called that "invaluable experience. "… That game-time experience, that means this year they should be better. I'm expecting to see more out of them from what I saw on film."

More About Spicer
New defensive line coach Paul Spicer is excited about making the transition from the pros to the Bulls this spring. He's also happy about staying in the Bay after serving as assistant defensive line coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-18.

"To stay down here and not having to uproot the family and move to another city, that's awesome," he said. "I can't say anything negative about this city because it's treated me right from day 1."

Spicer also is pretty pumped about getting to work with Charlie Strong, whom he calls "an unbelievable coach."

"I knew about him when I was in Jacksonville as a player," Spicer said. "We had players that came from Florida that played for him as well as when he went off to Louisville. He's been tremendous."

Like Strong, Spicer has stayed a true teacher of the game since playing 11 seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for Detroit (1999), Jacksonville (2000-08) and New Orleans (2009) as a part of the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV winning team.

"No matter what your talent level is, if you have great fundamentals and technique, you can play and you're going to make plays," Spicer said. "Talent can get you to halftime. Technique can win you the game. That's what I firmly believe in."

USF's defensive line has been quick to follow a ferocious former pass-rusher who posted 257 tackles and 28.5 sacks in the NFL.

"It's been great," defensive end Kirk Livingstone said. "He's been teaching us new stuff and has been helping us on and off the field."

Mims Making a Name for Himself at Linebacker
Senior Nico Sawtelle (Jensen Beach, Fla.) is still on the road back from a neck/shoulder injury, so that means more opportunities are there for young linebackers to emerge this spring.

The name catching coaches' attention so far has been Andrew Mims.

The sophomore from St. Johns, Fla., has been making the most of rolling with the ones in practice and he's bringing a physical nature to the table.

"He's really stepped up and he's earned that right," defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary said. "He came in as a walk-on, but he came in and busted his butt on special teams."

After redshirting in 2017, the former Bartram Trail High School team captain record 11 tackles (five solo) on special teams last season. Jean-Mary noted Mims was one of the top two performers on the unit in 2018.

"He was a kid we were excited about from the minute he touched the field," Jean-Mary said. "He's just kept climbing the ladder on the depth chart. Now he's got a chance to be a big-time factor for us at linebacker."

Bulls Bits

• HAMPTON SHOOTING FOR THE STARS: Junior cornerback Mike Hampton (Tampa) is brimming with confidence after ranking second in USF season history with 18 passes defended in 2018. The all-conference honorable mention made 11 starts and tied for ninth nationally with 1.4 passes defended per game. "I'm playing with a lot more confidence," said Hampton, who has gained about 15 pounds since last season. "Last year was kind of my first full year on the field. I got a feel for it, but this year is going to be a movie."
• EARLY ENROLLEES SEEING TIME THIS SPRING: Early enrollee cornerbacks Daquan Evans, a freshman from Orlando, and McArthur Burnett, a junior from Pahokee, Fla., both saw significant action on the second-team unit in practice Saturday. Freshman Jason Vaughn (Auburndale, Fla.), another early enrollee, also is coming along at defensive end.
• CARTER MOVES TO D-END: Redshirt freshman Chris Carter (Homestead, Fla.) played sparingly as a tight end last fall, but the 6-foot-4, 251-pounder is getting reps on the other side of the ball as a weakside defensive end this spring. "You see that athletic ability," defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary said.
• GRANT EYES ROTATION SPOT: USF has proven veterans at defensive end in Kirk Livingstone and Greg Reaves, but Jean-Mary said the rest of the position lineup is "still in flux." One player that could emerge is redshirt sophomore Darrien Grant (Bradenton, Fla.), who played in 12 games, mainly on special teams last year. "He's been a part of the program the past two years but really hasn't played," Jean-Mary said. "We're really looking forward to him to really take a jump and become a rotational player for us."
• MORE PEP IN STRONG'S STEP: Head coach Charlie Strong seems to really be enjoying his third spring with the Bulls after giving them a glowing winter conditioning progress report. "I think he's got a little bit more bounce in his step because we had a pretty good offseason," defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary said. "… It felt like the team was aligned. When you do winter conditioning, it's about mental toughness and trying to build some continuity and some togetherness on the team. You really felt that starting to take shape."

 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
In just its 22^nd season of football, and 19^th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program's 150^th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
 
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