USF nose tackle Doug Blue-Eli normally escapes notice. He does the dirty work. He's usually battling through double teams so someone else can make the tackle.

Last season, his uniform number might have raised an eyebrow — lucky No. 13.

Now it's flat-out eye-opening. Blue-Eli has switched to No. 0 — an unusual looking jersey for a 6-foot-2, 322-pounder.

"It's a number where I feel as though you need to be a dude,'' Blue-Eli said.

Bulls head coach Alex Golesh said he placed another staff member in charge of player's number assignments so he wouldn't be the bad guy, but added with a smile, "Doug can wear zero as long as he goes out and makes plays.''

USF needs Blue-Eli to play a key role. A transfer from TCU, Blue-Eli started 13 games last season and helped the Bulls improve their pass rush to 23 sacks (an increase of nine from 2022) and tackles for loss to 98 (an increase of 35).

"When we first got here, we weren't good at either the run or the pass, so where do you start?'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "I think we have to establish some type of toughness culture to be able to stop the run game. And then you play off that to create some push up front and, of course, you also need great coverage on the backside.

"But as far as up front, Doug is a guy we are counting on. I think he's a guy who's going to keep getting better and better.''

The improvement of USF's defense — particularly the pass rush — will be something to watch during Saturday afternoon's spring game at Corbett Stadium and all throughout fall camp in August.

Blue-Eli, who got to USF last May, is completing his first spring drills at USF. That familiarity has made a big difference and he said bigger things are definitely ahead.

"There's a big change coming,'' Blue-Eli said. "The defensive group wants to take this to another level. If everybody gets one-percent better (each day), that's the effort we want. Pick one thing you want to work on every day. If you get that done effectively, you have improved. It sounds simple, but that's how you get better. Just stay on that path.''

Blue-Eli's path to USF was not exactly a straight line.

He committed to Delaware State as a high-school junior, but said that offer was pulled at the last minute and he had no other options. He went the junior-college route in January 2020, just in time for COVID.

He became a junior-college All-American in 2021 at Monroe College in New Rochelle, N.Y., before accepting an offer at TCU. Blue-Eli played in just four games and preserved his redshirt as the Horned Frogs made the College Football Playoff championship game. The fit never seemed right, though, so Blue-Eli was on the move again and he has found a home at USF.

"I feel as though I'm definitely on my feet now,'' Blue-Eli said. "It came at me fast last season. Now I feel like I can sit back and see what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

"I'm starting to find myself and know what I can do, where I can improve. This is definitely the first year I've felt like that. I'm nowhere near where I want to be. But I feel like the work I'm putting in with the hunger I have, that's going to get me there.''

Golesh said he's confident that Blue-Eli will be even more of a factor this season.

"I'm really proud of what Doug did in the fall — he played a ton of snaps and he got straight A's (academically),'' Golesh said. "The winter has been huge for him. He has continued to try and get into (good) shape and has gotten really strong.

"When you play nose tackle, the stats don't always show up when you play there. He's also one of those guys you don't super notice a ton because he just does everything right.''

Maybe that No. 0 jersey will make him more noticeable.

So far, Blue-Eli has given zero problems to his coaches. They know he's improving. They know he cares. For now, that's enough.

"He appreciates the coaching, he appreciates the camaraderie and he fights his tail off during practice,'' Golesh said. "He practices violent. He does the right things. I'm really, really proud of him.''

Doug Blue-Eli — No. 0.

Zero worries about him.

–#GoBulls–