In the last month, USF's defense has improved. It's far from perfect, but it's much better. And part of the reason is the development of younger players.

As the Bulls (4-5, 2-3 American Athletic Conference) prepare for Saturday afternoon's road test at Charlotte (3-6, 2-3), look for that trend to continue.

"Seeing some of these guys grow up right before our eyes … it's a great thing,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "When you look back at us when we came in (the staff was hired in December 2022), it was kind of a quick recruiting deal. We only had about a month.

"But if you look at these last two (recruiting) classes, you're going to see an upgrade in the talent level in terms of athletic ability. You've got to develop them and give them enough reps, but boy, it's a good start when you get players in here already comparable to some of the veterans we have in the program. Most of them are not nearly ready yet, but you see such a big upside.''

Among the freshmen, there's B-backer Ira Singleton (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) of Lilburn, Ga., who has brought a menacing presence (2 1/2 sacks) in the last three games.

There's middle linebacker Rodney Hill (5-11, 225), who won a Class 5A state championship with Daytona Beach Mainland, the potential heir to a leadership position currently manned by Jhalyn Shuler and Jamie Pettway. There's also Ashton Mosley (6-3, 230), a fast, physical presence from Blountstown High.

There's cornerback James Chenault (6-0, 175) from Orlando Jones, the alma mater of former USF star Daquan Evans, who's looking more and more like a trusted shutdown defender. There's Fred Gaskin (5-10, 180) of Ocala Vanguard, who's seeing more action in the secondary.

Along the defensive line, there's Jahari Grant (6-2, 315) and Braden Chisholm (6-5, 272) playing interior roles, along with Ryan Jenkins (6-4, 245) on the edge.

"Some of these guys, you just can't wait to see what they look like as sophomores or juniors,'' Orlando said. "The more they get reps, the more they get coached and developed, the upside can look tremendous.

"Mac Harris (starting linebacker) has like 700 reps this season. I don't care what you do 700 times, you're going to get tired and beat up a little bit. So, we love giving these young guys some experience. We might get some young-guy mistakes along with it, but you know they're going to hustle and learn and get better because of the experience. You're investing in the future, but we're also getting some payoff right now.''

Singleton (no relation to USF freshman Keshaun Singleton, although both are from Georgia) said his confidence is growing.

"I love how the young guys on this defense have so much juice,'' Singleton said. "When I first got here, I don't think my technique was very good. It has taken some work, but I'm not afraid to work. 

"I feel like the coaches are trusting me more, so I think I'll keeping having a good role on this team. When I've got everything together, I don't feel like anybody can block me.''

Orlando has noticed.

"Very talented skill-set in terms of rushing the passer,'' Orlando said. "He's a big, long, nice-looking cat who can run. He was trying to figure it out early on, but it was a little fast for him. He has a ton of tools and we love his future.''

Hill got tons of attention after becoming a stalwart with Mainland's state-title team. He had options. But USF became the preferred option. It didn't hurt that Orlando, back in his UConn days, had coached Hill's high-school linebacker coach.

"When Rodney gets more weight on him and more experience … man, watch out,'' Orlando said. "He's a football player with a great pedigree.''

"I hold myself to a very high standard,'' Hill said. "I like being the man in the middle, the guy to wind everybody up and be the generator. I'm lucky to have guys in front of me (Harris and Pettway) who get me straight and make sure I'm doing it the right way. My time is coming.''

Chenault (known as "Bobo'' or "Young Bobo'') said he feels the same way. He said he had offers from Louisville and Ole Miss, among others, but liked being closer to his home region. The success of Evans, one of his role models, was also an influence.

"When you're used to being 'the man' in high school, it's a bit of an adjustment once you get to college,'' Chenault said. "There were times when I felt like I was just keeping my head above water, but I feel like I got all of my confidence back during training camp.

"I'm not complaining about anything. I'm just keeping my head down and working. The most difficult thing is consistency. That's what you learn. But on any given play, with the ball in the air, I like my chances against the receiver. You've got to play with that kind of confidence, even when you're the young guy.''

Orlando said he's confident that USF's next generation of defenders will be a source of pride for Bulls fans.

"When we keep getting deeper into November — and hopefully into December — having those fresher bodies with some skill will be a great asset,'' Orlando said. "The young guys we have, we really believe in them. We're excited to see them be productive. They're going to keep getting better and better.''

–#GoBulls–