USF Athletics

Game 1 Player to Watch: Dwayne Boyles

August 30, 2019

MATCHUP: No. 19/17 Wisconsin at USF
DAY/TIME: Friday • 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV: ESPN
RADIO: AM 1250 WHNZ | Bulls Unlimited
FOLLOW: Live stats | Twitter
GAME NOTES: USF | Wisconsin
TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
 
 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
 
TAMPA, AUG. 30, 2019 – Bulked-up Dwayne Boyles is ready to play a big role as a do-it-all linebacker for the Bulls, starting Friday night against No. 19/17 Wisconsin.
 
Primarily a weakside linebacker last season, the sophomore has become a player coordinator Brian Jean-Mary can use in multiple ways to attack Badgers and opponents beyond them.
 
"When we are in our base defense, he'll line up at outside linebacker. He'll be a guy who will rush off the edge, but we feel comfortable with him in coverage," Jean-Mary said. "When we get into our sub package, he'll be more of an inside linebacker that will be blitzing and can play some coverage from the inside."

All that sounds good to Boyles, who started twice as a freshman and gained 12 total games of experience in 2018. Currently listed as the Bulls' starting strongside linebacker, Boyles prepared for his increased role all offseason, eating up to five meals a day and doing more than what was required in head strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer's program.

"I put in extra work after the workouts. I'd do more sets of bench, more sets of curls, more sets of squats," said Boyles, who has transformed from 210 pounds to 227. "Even during spring after practice, I'd go in the weight room and put in that work."
 
Now able to put up 16 reps of 225 on the bench, Boyles feels more comfortable pushing opponents back, which will certainly help USF in its mission of slowing down Heisman Trophy candidate Jonathan Taylor on Friday night.

"He's bulked up from last year. That was one of his major issues from last season was just getting some girth on him," Jean-Mary said. "He's up to almost 230 pounds, so he's more prepared for the physical part of the game."
 
Boyles said the mental aspect of playing numerous roles won't be a problem either and he's already proven that. At Miami Central High School, he showed his versatility as a defensive end, linebacker and even lined up at nickel. No matter the position, Boyles produced often as an upperclassman with 23.5 sacks in his final two prep seasons.
 
"He's a guy we want to try to highlight," said Jean-Mary. "We think he can be a mismatch with his quickness and the added size. We feel really good about him going into this game."

The nation will see what Boyles and the Bulls can do Friday in primetime with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium and ESPN cameras capturing the action.

 "I just want to live up to what these coaches think of me and I think I'll do that," he said.
 
More Dwayne Details 

• STUDENT FIRST: Deemed an "intelligent football player" by his coordinator, Boyles makes sure to use his smarts in the classroom as well. "Throughout elementary and high school, I always got good grades," he said. "I never failed a class and I never had lower than a C. It's rare that I got a C." Since then, he's switched majors from criminology to mass communications and aspires to work in the advertising industry one day. Until then, Boyles will continue to follow family orders. "My mom (Cheryl) really pushed me to be a good student, saying, 'Before football, you're a student,'" Boyles said. "That's the main priority." Mom will be in attendance Friday along with Dwayne Sr., and Boyles' younger sisters, Ilesia and Gabriello.
• FROM FRIENDLY TO FIERCE: Off the field, Boyles likes to surround himself with family and friends, and describes himself as a "goofy person, but quiet at the same time." When it's time for football, Boyles goes from friendly to fierce. "On the field, I just turn into somebody else," he said.

 
 
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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