Scott Says It is Time for The Bulls to E-A-T
By Joey Johnston, Special to USF Athletics
The quarterback competition is far from over, but USF coach Jeff Scott said Tuesday that returning sophomore Cade Fortin has "probably been the MVP so far through four days'' of spring practice.
Fortin, a transfer from North Carolina, played in just two games in 2020 before suffering an injury in the Tulsa game and missing the last five contests.
"The way he has improved and just sped up his processing and delivering the ball, it's like a completely different player than where he was last year at the beginning,'' Scott said. "Maybe (it's the difference of) a fall camp, not just getting here, digesting the playbook. He has been phenomenal.''
Fortin's teammates have noticed, too.
"He looks a lot more comfortable this year,'' Bulls receiver Bryce Miller said.
"I see a confident quarterback back there, standing in the pocket, throwing the ball,'' Bulls receiver Xavier Weaver said. "I see him pushing the young quarterbacks to get better.''
Scott said all of the quarterbacks have positives.
Sophomore Jarren Williams, a transfer from Miami, is "smart and instinctual'' and his performance is bound to improve once he has more experience in the offense.
Holdover freshman Katravis Marsh has "the strongest arm of any quarterback I have ever coached,'' Scott said, but needs more development.
True freshman Timmy McClain, a left-hander, sometimes reminds Scott of Michael Vick with a smooth release and startling change-of-direction speed. At the same time, Scott said McClain is just getting started and faces a steep learning curve.
Scott expects the quarterback competition to evolve into fall camp. Overall, though, Scott said he feels much more confident in the quarterback room because there are multiple players who could ultimately win the starting job. Because of that, he anticipates much more consistency at the position.
Putting on the pads
For the second straight practice, the Bulls worked in full pads, giving Scott and his staff more opportunity to judge the team's toughness. Saturday's first full-pads practice lasted nearly three hours — by design, so USF players could battle through some adversity.
"When I talked to the players about this spring, I talked about the three T's,'' Scott said. "We've got to develop our talent because we do have talent on this roster. We've got to truly come together as a team. And the last T is for toughness.
"We really need to develop a mental and physical toughness. I just did not see that out of our team last year. We'll probably be more aggressive this spring in the amount of live work that we do. Toughness is a big area we need to develop as a team.''
Miller said toughness will be a valuable attribute. Last season, the Bulls let a couple of potential victories slip through their fingertips in the final minutes.
"It's definitely an area where we need to step up,'' Miller said.
Scott said Thursday's practice will be in shells, but the full pads return Saturday for the team's first scrimmage of the spring.
Time to E-A-T
Scott said last season — with no spring practice and playing through a pandemic — was time to set the table.
Now it's time to eat.
He uses that word as an acronym — E-A-T.
Embrace It.
Attack It.
Together.
"We've got a great challenge, a great schedule in front of us, so we need to embrace it and attack it,'' Scott said. "We need to attack every meeting, We need to attack every 10-minute walk-through. We have to take action and be intentional with everything we do.
"And we've got to do it together. We've got to keep our head down and work, knowing we're only going to get better and better. That's the only way to dig ourselves out of the hole that has been created the last few years.''
Right tackle update
With four of five starters returning, Scott said he expects leadership from the offensive line. An intriguing position battle is unfolding at right tackle, where junior Demontrey Jacobs (6-foot-6, 305 pounds), freshman Josh Blanchard (6-3, 315) and senior Jarrett Hopple (6-7, 320) are contenders. Scott has also been pleased with the work of true freshman Andrew Kilfoyl (6-5, 290), a mid-year addition from Gaither High School.
"He's a young player trying to figure out what's going on, but he's holding his own,'' Scott said.
Vision for the future
Scott said there already has been positive feedback from last week's announcement that the $22-million Indoor Performance Facility will have an expected groundbreaking this summer.
"Anytime you announce a major project, it makes a statement to high school coaches in the area and state, the recruits and their families,'' Scott said. "Everybody has taken notice. They realize that USF is serious about its athletics program and is willing to invest some dollars.
"It speaks to the alignment we have been between our school president, our athletic director and our program. The leadership is very strong. Whenever the building starts taking place, it's a great statement to our current players. These times are changing.''
