By Joey Johnston

One of the most anticipated football seasons in USF history begins this week with the Bulls reporting to training camp on Tuesday, conducting their first full-squad, on field session Wednesday night and then hitting the Morsani Football Practice Complex fields Thursday morning.

There's a daunting schedule in place, beginning with a Sept. 3 season-opener against BYU in Raymond James Stadium (4 p.m. • ESPNU). There are 110 players in camp, 20 returning starters (10 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams) and a program-record 21 new players who participated in spring drills. There are two new coordinators, the historic opening of USF's $22-million Indoor Performance Facility and more progress toward creating an on-campus stadium.

Head Coach Jeff Scott and several players will speak to the local media during a Wednesday press conference in the Selmon Center (12-1 p.m./streamed live on Twitter: @USFFootball).

Here are some themes, storylines and strengths to watch as Scott begins his third season leading the Bulls:

Evolution of Team Culture: Scott said a big part of his first two USF seasons was building and laying the foundation for the team culture. He believes the Bulls have a core of veteran leaders and there's nothing more effective than a player-led locker room. "I think we have a lot of guys now who know how to work and they're hungry to win,'' Scott said. "I think you see that with the competition in practice. We've got a whole lot of positive energy going on and these guys know they're ready to turn the corner.''

Starting Quarterback: Scott has not named a starting quarterback entering fall camp, but said he expects to have a decision during the first few weeks of camp. The spring competition that saw incumbent sophomore Timmy McClain, fellow returning sophomore Katravis Marsh and true freshman Byrum Brown take the majority of snaps developed an unexpected twist when in May the Bulls welcomed Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon, a junior who started 12 games last season and helped the Bears to a Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl victory against Ole Miss. The explosive and versatile McClain started nine games as a true freshman last year and Marsh, a big-armed prospect with an NFL body, has started two in his career to date. Scott said McClain had "his best spring and summer'' and he believes Marsh has made major decision-making strides to compliment his physical skills. He also said a staff member told him there was one car in the USF facility parking lot on Memorial Day. It belonged to Bohanon, who was inside watching film on his own. "We have a lot of depth in the quarterback room,'' Scott said. "Competition is good. So is depth. In the course of a long season, you usually need more than one (quarterback) and we have several that we're confident in.''

Feeling A Rush: USF's defense had just nine sacks last season, so clearly that's a priority for first-year defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. "Our aim is to be an in-your-face style defense,'' Shoop said. "We want to be built on relentless pursuit and never-ending pressure. We will tailor our scheme to the strength and skill-sets of our personnel. But no question, our identity will be based around creating pressure.'' Shoop will emphasize defensive-line depth. If there are 75 snaps in the game, Shoop said starters will ideally play 40 to 50. New players to watch include transfers Jatorian Hansford (Missouri), Rashad Cheney (Minnesota), Clyde Pinder Jr. (North Carolina), Nick Bags (Temple) and Jonathan Ross (Bowie State). True freshmen Michael Williams II, a four-star prospect who was offered scholarships by a handful of Big Ten and SEC programs, and Eddie Kelly also bear watching. Holdovers Rashawn Yates and Tramel Logan were spring standouts. "We're going to have a lot of fresh bodies at all times,'' Shoop said. "That's going to allow us to play our best in the fourth quarter and late in the season.''

Special Unit: Superior special teams are always important to championship-contending programs. From top to bottom, USF has one of the nation's most accomplished special-teams units. The Bulls have big-time weapons in consensus All-American kickoff returner Brian Battie (a Hornung Award candidate that posted a nation-leading three touchdown returns last year, two against Houston to tie an NCAA record) and place-kicker Spencer Shrader, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist who was 11-for-13 in field-goal attempts with a career-best 52-yarder. Australian punter Andrew Stokes (39.0-yard average last season) has an impressive leg, but must improve his consistency following his first-ever season of football.

Laying It On The Line: With stability and productivity, USF's offensive line is the team's most veteran and could be its strongest unit. Center Brad Cecil, left guard Demetris Harris and left tackle Donovan Jennings have played side by side for better part of the past four seasons. In all, with right guard Dustyn Hall and right tackle Demontrey Jacobs, the Bulls have a combined 136 career starts along the O-line. "We've got some really, really, really good dudes up front and they want to lead this team,'' Bulls offensive line coach Allen Mogridge said. It's good news for a USF offense that can powerfully impose its will with returning, 221-pound running back Jaren Mangham (671 yards, 15 touchdowns).

Linebacker Depth: Two of USF's most recognizable players, Antonio Grier and Dwayne Boyles, have combined for 55 career starts at linebacker. But it's more than the Grier-Boyles show at linebacker. Expect Minnesota transfer DJ Gordon IV, junior-college transfer Jhalyn Shuler and sophomore Mac Harris, returning from a shoulder injury, to make an impact on USF's defense. "Dwayne Boyles and I have played a lot of games,'' Grier said. "Now we want to be part of a lot of wins.''

The Offensive Brain Trust: First-year offensive coordinator Travis Trickett said USF's offense will be a fast-paced, attacking unit. The presence of senior analyst Chad Morris, the former Clemson offensive coordinator and head coach at SMU and Arkansas, can't be overstated, either. Trickett is longtime believer in the offensive philosophy espoused by Morris and has integrated many elements of it in offenses in his previous stops and at USF.  Scott put it into extremely effective practice at Clemson, first working with Morris and later when Scott took over as the Tiger's co-offensive coordinator upon Morris' departure. Now they are all together and joined by fellow Bulls offensive coaches with Clemson lineage in running backs coach Cam Aiken and tight ends coach Xavier Dye. It's about finding the right matchups and putting the ball in the hands of playmakers. Even in training camp, the possibilities abound.

Return From Injury: Safety Will Jones, a Kansas State transfer, and running back K'Wan Powell suffered season-ending injuries during 2021 training camp. Wide receiver Latrell Williams, a Tennessee transfer, played in only three games before an injury ended his 2021 season, and linebacker Mac Harris saw his season curtailed by injury. Those are a few impact players who have returned to the USF lineup. "Will Jones has been a bright spot in every way,'' Shoop said. "We can't wait to see what he can do for our defense.''

Challenging Schedule: A fast start would be great for USF's confidence, but the Bulls will be challenged by a rigorous schedule. Three of the first four games — BYU on Sept. 3, at Florida on Sept. 17 and at Louisville on Sept. 24 — will be against top-50 programs that played in Bowl games last year, with two coming on the road. USF also visits the American Athletic Conference's top two teams — Cincinnati (Oct. 8) and Houston (Oct. 29) — while hosting UCF in the War on I-4 during Thanksgiving weekend. The preseason AAC poll voted Houston as the favorite to win the conference followed by Cincinnati and UCF. Nine of the Bulls 12 regular season opponents received a bowl or College Football Playoff bid in 2021 and three finished ranked in the top 20.

Playmakers At Wideout: The Bulls have game-changing speed and skill at wide receiver starting with the return of the top three receivers from 2021 in Xavier Weaver (41 receptions, 715 yards, 17.4 ypc), Jimmy Horn (30 receptions, 408 yards, 13.6 ypc), and Omarion Dollison (27 catches, 218 yards). There are 20 wide receivers on the roster, the largest Bulls position group, including Clemson transfer Ajou Ajou, North Carolina transfer Khafre Brown, Baylor transfer Yusuf Terry and Tennessee transfer Latrell Williams. The most intriguing newcomer might be the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Ajou, who attended Clearwater Academy. "We're confident that we have a few guys who are going to find their way into the end zone,'' Trickett said.

Defensive Back Depth: USF upgraded its talent in the secondary last season, emphasizing physicality and speed. That has continued with the addition of transfers Aamaris Brown (Kansas State) and Ray Thornton (Clemson) and several talented freshmen. The Bulls return four starters from 2021 in cornerbacks Daquan Evans, and TJ Robinson (Rutgers transfer) and safeties Mekhi LaPointe and Matthew Hill (Auburn transfer), as well as cornerback Christian Williams (Miami transfer) who started five games. USF was dealt a blow when starting senior, safety Vincent Davis announced in July he was discontinuing his football career due to injury.  "Through our whole secondary, we have a superior attitude, a lot of skill and a lot of depth,'' USF cornerbacks coach George Barlow said. "We have a whole lot of possibilities and it will be interesting to see how things develop during camp.''