USF linebacker Jhalyn Shuler said he always believed in himself. It was just a matter of getting the right opportunity. Last season, when his dreams merged with reality, everything came together.
Shuler, who played only 20 snaps at USF in 2022, developed into a Bulls' mainstay and registered a team-leading 97 tackles in 2023. He had 11 tackles against Alabama, 10 against UAB and a season-high 12 against Syracuse in the 45-0 Boca Raton Bowl rout of Syracuse.
Now, he wants even more.
"One of my goals last year was to get 100 tackles,'' Shuler said. "I didn't get it. I got 97. I feel like it was a good year, but I'm focused on getting even better this year.''
And that's good news for USF's defense, which is working toward improvement across the board during spring drills.
"When Jhalyn first came here, he was a good player, but he was playing behind Dwayne Boyles, who was a very good player, too,'' outside linebacker Tramel Logan said. "Jhalyn was itching for his time. When his time came up, I just kept reminding him that this was what he wanted and what he worked for. He needed to take advantage of that. And that's what he did.''
Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said he's excited to witness the next steps in Shuler's maturation.
"Jhalyn is a very, very intelligent guy,'' Orlando said. "He has great length and great speed, but he just didn't get enough reps (in 2022) to really develop the way he needed to. So, we spent the majority of (last season) working internally more than anything else.
"It was like, 'This is what a linebacker does,' showing him the physicality, the technique and the preparation needed to succeed at this level. Now, we've gotten away from the culture and laying the foundation. Now, we're starting to talk about ball. It's kind of like a tree. You can't just pop the tree down. You've got to dig into the ground and get those roots established before you figure out what kind of fruit you're going to get. We laid the foundation and now we're moving forward.''
Shuler said he has noticed a big difference in USF's squad from the day Alex Golesh took over as head coach until now. It can't be quantified on a statistical breakdown.
"It's the connection we have between the players,'' Shuler said. "The older guys make all the newcomers feel welcome. We care about each other and there's a mentorship that makes you want to help others get better.''
As a veteran player, Shuler said he feels that leadership responsibility. He wants to set a good example. The expectations are clear.
"Last season, we were coming off a 1-11 year, but now it's completely different,'' Shuler said. "We know we can have success. We know we can do even better and compete for a championship in our conference.
"Last season was OK. I know it was one of the biggest turnarounds in college football, but that record (7-6) is not what we're looking for this year. We're looking forward to going into the conference championship game and progressively getting better than we were last year.''
Shuler's play will be an important part of that potential improvement.
"For myself and a lot of other teammates, we kind of figured out how to put the right pieces together for success and how it all fit together,'' Shuler said. "I feel like I know how to prepare and work. As a team, we know what we're capable of, so we know we have to live up to that standard every time.''
–#GoBulls–
