USF Athletics

Offseason Dedication Paying Off for Bigger, Stronger, Faster Bulls

August 21, 2019

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, AUG. 21, 2019 – In order for the Bulls to become the team Charlie Strong truly wanted them to be for 2019, players had to totally commit to becoming bigger, stronger and even faster this offseason.

After months of hard work and holding each other to a high standard, USF has Strong's approval thanks to players undergoing a transformation that could help lead to a breakout season for the Bulls.

"We've put up big numbers," said Strong on the first day of fall camp. "When you come out here, you want to make sure those numbers, they transfer it from the weight room to the field now. They look really good."

One of the keys to the Bulls' increases in size and strength was doing everything asked of head strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer's staff – and even a little more.

"I put in extra work after the workouts. I'd do more sets on the bench, more sets of curls and squats," said 227-pound linebacker Dwayne Boyles, who added nearly 20 pounds since last season. "Even after practice during the spring, I would go in the weight room and put in that work."

Boyles' teammates, like freshman linebacker Darius Williams (252, +16 since late June), also went the extra mile this offseason. The proof is more pounds and extra plates added in the gym since last fall.

Starting up front on defense, go-to tackles Kelvin Pinkney (305, +17) and Kevin Kegler (294, +10) are much better suited to stop the run, as is Blake Green (287, +20). Pinkney, a junior from Sarasota, Fla., is now benching 330 pounds and posted a max squad of 500 pounds, which was matched by sophomore tackle Tyrone Barber (Venice, Fla.) this offseason.

"I made sure I lifted a lot more," Pinkney said. "I made sure I ate a better diet and that's a credit to Coach Moorer and the training staff."

Defensive end Kirk Livingstone (275, +12) has shined all fall camp as a pass rusher, posting three sacks in last Saturday's scrimmage, and he's even playing some three-technique (interior line) in certain schemes.

"It was about changing our mindset from last year," Livingstone said. "It was about eating more and just being stronger. Guys up front got a lot bigger."

That goes for the offensive line as well. Notable gainers from last fall include starting center Brad Cecil (307, +17) along with juniors Jarrett Hopple (325, +20), Troy Fields (271, +24) and Michael Wiggs (311, +13).

While some added size, other O-linemen trimmed down their physique - starting right guard Donovan Jennings (328, -13 since spring) and Jean Marcellus (307, -14) to move better in coordinator Kerwin Bell's #PlayFastScoreFaster offense. Jennings definitely kept his strength with a 600-pound squat max and a total of 24 reps of 225 pounds on the bench.

"Our vision was clear," offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau said. "We want to go out there and win a whole bunch of ballgames, so we worked for that. They've really owned that."

USF's mission is to protect starting quarterback Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.), who prepared his body for the long season by bulking up to 225 pounds. The second-year Bull also has developed into a leader on a team that did a strong job of ensuring commitment in the weight room this offseason.

"We held each other accountable," said sophomore linebacker Antonio Grier (222, +12). "Whether you're a starter or on scout team, it doesn't matter. No reps were skipped."

More Strength, Size Numbers
Since the Bulls put on full pads this fall, Coach Strong said "it's been physical every day out here" and that's a credit to USF's skyrocketing strength numbers.

The bench press, for example, is a way for the next level to test NFL Combine participants and see how many reps of 225 pounds they can put up. Rising pro prospect Mike Hampton, a cornerback from Tampa on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, has increased his rep count by 10 to 15, which is about two more than the average for defensive backs at the 2019 NFL Combine.

Redshirt sophomore safety Mekhi LaPointe (220, +10) also saw an increase of 10 reps on the bench, with his total up to 17. Junior Brock Nichols (Naples, Fla.) benched 225 pounds 21 times, which would have tied him for the second-most among safeties at the 2019 NFL Combine.

"We're just more dedicated this year," said Hampton of the Bulls. "We're more disciplined and dedicated."

Now, Hampton is really ready to go up against big receivers like teammate Randall St. Felix (6-2, 211), who is benching 225 pounds 17 times, a little more than two reps better than the 2019 NFL Combine average for wideouts. St. Felix also achieved a max squat of 490 pounds this offseason.

Putting up at least 20 reps of 225 on the bench is a norm for USF's offensive linemen. Starting left guard Demetris Harris (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jarrett Hopple (Suffolk, Va.) both knocked out 26 this offseason. Starting right tackle Marcus Norman (Sebastian, Fla.) increased his rep count by seven to 25, 1.4 more than the average registered by offensive linemen at the latest NFL Combine.

Aside from returners, new Bull Darius Slade (Montclair, N.J.) heads into his graduate season benching 225 pounds 25 times, which would have tied him for third among defensive ends who participated in the lift at the 2019 NFL Combine.

"He's a bigger-bodied guy," said senior edge rusher Greg Reaves of Slade (6-5, 257). "He's really good with his hands and physical."
 
 
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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