USF Athletics

Bulls Answer the Bell Early in Fall Camp Opener

August 02, 2019

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, AUG. 2, 2019 – The motivated 2019 Bulls zoomed through the first camp action of the fall Friday and immediately impressed head coach Charlie Strong with their ability to rise to a challenge.

With the first practice originally set for 6 p.m., Strong moved up the start time a full nine hours a morning start to make sure the Bulls got some good work in at the Morsani Complex ahead of a rainy afternoon forecast.

"It was a really good day of work. Guys moved around. Guys looked good," Strong said. "We've just got to continue to build each and every day because it's going to be a process."

USF handled drills and team work with a businesslike approach despite having a partial roster on the field due to class schedules. The freshmen and a handful of veterans also took the field in the early afternoon and finished up drills just ahead of lightning and rain moving into the area. 

"At the end of the day, it's all about them just realizing they have to improve and where they want to take their game," said Strong of camp as a whole.

USF returns 16 starters and 39 lettermen, including starting quarterback Blake Barnett, for Strong's third season with the program. The veterans feel good about the leadership development and the team's overall mindset as the huge season opener against Wisconsin at Raymond James Stadium is quickly approaching.

"This year, we're going to have fun," said senior linebacker Nico Sawtelle. "… We're going to come out here every day with enthusiasm and try to get better."

Camp intensity will really start to increase over the weekend with morning practices (closed to the public) set for Saturday and Sunday at the Morsani Complex. Before position battles begin to heat up, here's five things to watch for on the way to the Bulls' highly anticipated ESPN primetime clash with the Badgers on Friday, Aug. 30.

Bell's #PlayFastScoreFaster Offense
Spring 2019 saw the Bulls learn and practice some basic concepts of new coordinator Kerwin Bell's offense that utilizes a pro-style passing game with spread concepts.

"We think we've got the best of both worlds," Bell said. "We can get the ball in the hands of our best players when we need to and when we want to, and try to utilize our strengths in open-field situations, which is what the spread is really about."

It will soon be time to start taking the restrictor plate off USF's potentially high-powered offense and see what it can do after the Bulls have a spring and fall camp to prepare. Bell's recent history with the system is certainly promising with his 2018 Valdosta State national championship squad leading Division II in scoring (52.0 ppg).

"The sky is the limit for the offense (with) a lot of new stuff. Guys are very much into it," senior running back Jordan Cronkrite, who ran for 1,121 yards in 2018, said. "They're excited every day to see what they're going to install next. I'm just excited to see what everybody is going to do."

Healthy Playmakers Returning to Action
Friday marked the return of key playmakers in senior linebacker Nico Sawtelle and redshirt freshman receiver/returner Terrence Horne along with senior running back Jordan Cronkrite.

Sawtelle was off to a solid start last season, leading the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and ranking second with 42 tackles before missing the last seven games with a neck-shoulder injury. The Jensen Beach, Fla., native was held out of team action in the spring, but he delivered some very good news Friday.

"I'd say I'm about 100 percent, absolutely," said the 18-game starter. "I've got some modifications on my shoulder pads that will help my neck be more stable. But there's not pain in my neck, not in my arm – nothing. I'm ready to go."

Horne (Miramar, Fla.) continues to make progress after suffering a season-ending ACL injury during practice last September. The speedster played in three games last season and made a statement against Georgia Tech, setting USF and conference records with 264 kickoff return yards. During that show-stealing performance, Horne tied an NCAA record with two touchdown returns from 98 and 97 yards out. Read about Horne's road to recovery during spring ball HERE.

"With his injury, it's going to be where we're going to bring him along slowly to make sure that when we do get him, he's going to be at full percent," Strong said.

Cronkrite registered the ninth 1,000-yard rushing season in program history last fall before missing the spring while recovering from offseason surgery.
Like Sawtelle, the standout from Miami is ready to roll.

"I feel like I'm 100 percent," Cronkrite said. "The trainers did a great job of helping me rehab and do treatment during the summer and also my teammates, helping me push through."

Much Bigger, Fitter Bulls
Back in February, head coach Charlie Strong was encouraged by the strides the Bulls were making in the gym under veteran strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer.

Strong is thrilled with the offseason workout results thanks to significant increases in size and strength by several Bulls.

It all starts up front, where go-to defensive tackles with experience under their belt have now also bulked up since the start of 2018. Junior Kelvin Pinkney (Sarasota, Fla.) heads to camp at 305 pounds, a 17-pound increase, and sophomore Tyrone Barber (Venice, Fla.) is up 13 pounds to 273. Another notable gainer at defensive tackle is junior Kevin Kegler (294, +10) while redshirt freshman John Waller (St. Petersburg, Fla.) has trimmed his 6-foot-4 frame down 27 pounds to 315.

Linebackers are better suited to deliver the boom with sophomore Dwayne Boyles Jr. (Miami) up to 227 (+17) and sophomore Antonio Grier (Atlanta) at 222 pounds (+12). Spring standout Andrew Mims, a sophomore from St. John's, Fla., also is sturdier at 226 pounds, a nine-pound gain since his last weigh-in.

"They've grown and matured, mentally and physically," said senior Nico Sawtelle.

Offensively, senior quarterback Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.) was listed at 217 pounds last season and was playing at much less than that by the end of the season as injuries took their toll. Thanks to work in the weight room and a close eye on nutrition, Barnett looks very durable at 225 pounds.

Junior offensive lineman Michael Wiggs bulked up to 311 (+13) and junior Troy Fields (Miramar, Fla.) has added 24 pounds (274) since transferring in last fall. Incoming freshmen up front have taken to Moorer's program very well – Joshua Blanchard (330, +51), Dustyn Hall (308, +31).

"We've put up big numbers," Strong said. "Now when you come out here, you want to make sure those numbers, they transfer it from the weight room to the field. They look really good."

Leaders Stepping Up
Leadership was an area Strong really wanted the team to show improvement in since last season. Like USF's size gains, he's happy with how things are developing.

"What you have is guys that have really been here," Strong said. "Now they understand who we are."

On Friday, Strong went through a list of go-to Bulls in the leadership department, including senior ends Kirk Livingstone (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Greg Reaves (Bradenton, Fla.) along with seniors on offense like tight end Mitchell Wilcox (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) and linemen William Atterbury (Clearwater, Fla.) and Marcus Norman (Sebastian, Fla.).

The list certainly goes on (with one featured in the next topic).

"They want to win," Strong said. "So, anytime you want to win, you know that you have to change how we go about everything. They're willing to say, 'Hey, coach, whatever we have to do, we're going to do it.'"

Bigger Barnett Feeling More Comfortable
Last fall, Blake Barnett had to hit the ground running in his mission of learning the USF way and winning the starting quarterback job after arriving in the summer.

"We really didn't know what he had last year when Blake came in," Strong said.

Now that he's had a season and spring of Bulls experience, Barnett has built up his body for a big year and has the smarts to really thrive in Kerwin Bell's new system. He's also a player the Bulls will run through a wall for after battling through injuries to throw for nearly 3,000 yards in 2018.

"He's developing into the team leader," Strong said. "I always tell him, 'The quarterback is the position where the ball is always in your hands. You're going to make a lot of decisions. Let's just make sure we make the right ones.'"
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed 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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