USF's offensive line is the team's most stable and experienced position heading into the Sept. 3 season opener against the No. 25-ranked BYU Cougars at Raymond James Stadium.
But Bulls coach Jeff Scott said there's still competition at one of the spots, while new acquisitions will occasionally work into the rotation to provide depth, rest and a feel for what's ahead in 2023.
USF leads the nation in returning career offensive line starts (154), followed by Pittsburgh (145), Georgia State (143), Miami (137) and South Carolina (129). There's the familiar crew of senior left tackle Donovan Jennings (6-foot-5, 312 pounds), senior left guard Demetris Harris (6-3, 315) and senior center Brad Cecil (6-4, 294), along with sophomore Dustyn Hall (6-3, 303) at right guard and senior Demontrey Jacobs (6-6, 315) at right tackle.
Scott said sophomore Mike Lofton (6-2, 312), a transfer from UCF, is competing with Hall for playing time at right guard. Lofton can also play tackle.
Versatile sophomore Derrell Bailey (6-6, 289), a transfer from Virginia Tech, figures to be the first backup option at either tackle position, while coaches are also high on freshman Zach Perkins (6-6, 315), a Berkeley Prep product who transferred from Maryland and freshman Andrew Kilfoyl (6-5, 317) from Gaither High.
Freshman Cole Best (6-4, 296) is the center-in-waiting.
"I think the seniors who are coming back have really established themselves at their positions,'' Scott said. "Even though we feel really good about that first group, we need the guys behind them to get some real game reps, so that if something were to happen to one of the guys, they could step in and we don't miss a beat.
"We're also going to be losing four guys at the end of the season. So you want to find series and opportunities to let the backups get in there and get some meaningful reps. I think it will help our starters stay fresh for the entire game and fourth quarter when we need to be at our best and also for the longevity of the season.''
Camp standouts
With the end of fall training camp, Scott said three of the biggest standouts were nickel back Matthew Hill, wide receiver Ajou Ajou and running back Michel Dukes. Scott termed Hill as "the MVP of camp,'' while Ajou Ajou and Dukes, both Clemson transfers, had big showings in the scrimmages and are on track to become offensive playmakers.
Beware of BYU QB
When USF traveled to BYU last season (a 35-27 defeat), the Cougars were without injured quarterback Jaren Hall. But he's healthy and ready for the Bulls in the season opener. Phil Steele's 2022 College Football Preview ranked Hall as the nation's 14th-best quarterback.
Despite missing three games last season, Hall passed for 2,583 yards (64-percent completion rate) and rushed for 307.
"He's a dynamic quarterback,'' Scott said. "You can tell he has great leadership and a great command of the offense. He's a thrower and a big-time threat as a runner. You have to be ready because he can take off and take it the distance.''
Bohanon vs. BYU
Bulls quarterback Gerry Bohanon, a transfer from Baylor, engineered a 38-24 victory against the Cougars last season. Bohanon was 18 of 28 for 231 yards and a touchdown.
"Opening games have always been hard and now they're harder than ever because of the transitions that go on between one season to the next,'' Scott said. "The old school model would be losing your seniors, then bringing in a bunch of freshmen and maybe having one transfer. Now you've got 10 to 12 to 15 transfers coming in. So things are different.
"I will say that Gerry was one of only three starting quarterbacks last season that beat BYU. For him and our team, there's some confidence that comes with that. As far as the Baylor (vs. BYU) film being any more important than any of the other games? I'm not sure that it is. There's going to be a different flavor. BYU will have a different plan than last season, so you've got to get your guys prepared for all the different things they could see. Really, it comes down to us locking in on our plan and being able to execute that.''
