By Joey Johnston

Welcome to USF's offensive-line meeting room. It's a place where chops are busted, authenticity is celebrated and the 18-year-old freshman is welcomed alongside the 23-year-old graduate student. There are no cliques, but there's the constant clack-clack-clack of dutiful hard work.

The group rarely gets outside attention. Nobody cares. They already have all they need — each other.

"With what we ask our guys to do on a daily basis, there's no way any phoniness can ever survive in there,'' Bulls offensive-line coach Tyler Hudanick said. "If it's there, it gets called out pretty quick or it sticks out like a sore thumb.

"My job every day is to get in front of them, being honest, loving the heck out of them, never sugar-coating anything. In that room, it's a bunch of real dudes. I wouldn't want it any other way.''

There are well-documented exploits for the likes of quarterback Byrum Brown, wide receiver Sean Atkins and running back Nay'Quan Wright.

But that well-publicized trio agrees: Without USF's offensive line, none of the record-setting activity is possible.

"I love my guys up front,'' Brown said. "That's a tight-knit group. I think that translates into the weight room and it certainly translates onto the field.''

"They love one another,'' Wright said. "Man, you can't see one of them without seeing the other. They're always together. They are definitely united. I feel like you need that in this game.''

Hudanick said his unit's togetherness has made for his "proudest moment.''

"All the credit goes to the guys,'' Hudanick said. "I've been part of a lot of fun offensive-line groups. But this is one of the tightest I've ever been around. The saying that you see one of them, you see all of them … that's so true. They realize the most important thing, that you can't do it any other way. You have to be a cohesive group.''

USF's offensive-line group has lost its leader, left tackle Donovan Jennings, who's now in training camp with the NFL's Green Bay Packers. But the Bulls have plenty of returning experience.

Center Mike Lofton (6-foot-2, 320 pounds), who played the most snaps (1,050) in the nation last season, returns as the anchor. The right side seems secure with guard Zane Herring (6-5, 317), an Outland Trophy Watch List member who started 12 games last year, and tackle Derek Bowman (6-5, 288, 12 starts).

Hudanick said R.J. Perry (6-6, 328) is the leading candidate at left tackle, where it's likely "his position to lose,'' while the leading left-guard contenders appear to be Andrew Kilfoyl (seven starts) and Cole Skinner (6-5, 335, four starts). Skinner can play both guard positions and center. As Hudanick points out, "Cole Skinner is still just 18 years old and he has so much upside and ability.''

Jack Wilty (6-4, 310, Colorado transfer), Gannon Lanning (6-7, 323) and James Jenkins (6-5, 291) remain in the left-tackle mix. Left-guard competition also includes Deonte Bowie (6-4, 318), back after missing 2023 with injury, and the versatile Cole Best (6-4, 314), a valuable piece who can play center and guard).

The whole unit figures to improve because most of the players have a year of experience in Coach Alex Golesh's go-go offensive system.

"That's the million-dollar question (offensive-line production), but we're really confident in the group,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "We continue to get these guys physically better and mentally better. With the look on their faces, how some of them have changed their bodies, how much stronger they've gotten, we feel like they're ready to do the dirty work now that it's time to play real football.

"Those guys don't get a ton of credit (from outside sources), but the fact is we can't do anything if they're not on the same page and going in the same direction. Without the guys up front playing well, we've got no shot.''

Perry, a former high-school basketball standout known for his quick feet, transferred last season from Tennessee and played four different offensive-line positions (all except center). He said USF's O-line camaraderie makes a huge difference.

"At Tennessee, the vets hung out with the vets and the young bulls hung out with the young bulls,'' Perry said. "It's not that way here. We're all together, the young and the old. We laugh together and cry together. When it really matters, we know we've got each other's backs.''

That selfless attitude translates well to game days.

"I'm an offensive lineman … I don't have any stats,'' Bowman said with a laugh. "They don't put my name in the newspaper. All I want — all any of us want — is for our offense to perform as well as it can. If we each do our jobs, we're going to help the team. Other people might not notice, but it doesn't matter. All we want to do is perform well and win.''

–#GoBulls–