What's a B-backer?
Passionate USF football fans — particularly those who carefully dissect the depth chart and continually watch game replays — have undoubtedly asked that question as they study how the Bulls' defensive players are deployed.
Defensive end, defensive tackle, nose tackle, linebacker, cornerback, safety, even nickel back … those are familiar terms for football followers.
But a B-backer?
"It's just a name, but I'll tell you this, B-backers are hard to find,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said.
The No. 24-ranked Bulls (4-1, 1-0 American Conference) have found some good ones. Orlando said the versatile position's performance has been a key to defensive improvement, which he hopes will continue Friday night when USF travels to North Texas (5-0, 1-0) for a pivotal league game.
B-backers are part-linebackers, part-defensive ends, part-pass coverage men. They can stand up and disrupt plays from the edge. They can put their hand in the dirt and compete against the run. They can drop quickly and cover backs or tight ends. At times, they line up in the box, much like a traditional middle linebacker.
"B-backers are 'Business Backers,' really,'' said graduate student Rico Watson III (6-foot, 238 pounds), the former Florida State and Robert Morris player who has spent the past two seasons creating havoc for USF. "That's what we call our position. Because we take care of business.''
"We do whatever the coaches want us to do or need us to do,'' said graduate student D.J. Harris (6-2, 248), who began at Texas and has played the last three seasons at USF. "We might line up anywhere. We might be chasing a guy who runs a 4.4 or holding our ground against a 300-pound offensive lineman. We're playmakers.''
Harris has 10 tackles and got his first interception last week against Charlotte. Watson has 17 tackles (two for a loss) and one sack after finishing last season with six TFL's and 2.5 sacks.
There are also promising sophomores Ira Singleton (6-5, 240) and Ashton Mosley (6-3, 238).
"It's a high-value position for us,'' outside linebackers coach Chad Creamer said. "They have to do a little bit of everything. We're looking for length, athleticism and the ability to play in space. It's kind of like the tight end of the defense.
"They might look a little bit different and have specific skills. But at the end of the day, they are all disruptors. These guys are pure football players who have the physicality and speed to bring us a high level of production on the field.''
Watson and Harris both have stories of perseverance.
Watson was part of Armwood High's powerful program and walked on in 2019 at Florida State, when the head coach was Willie Taggart (Watson was familiar with Taggart from his 2013-16 tenure at USF). But Taggart was fired and COVID hit the next March.
There were no guarantees Watson could stick at FSU, so he headed to Robert Morris to player for head coach Bernard Clark (a one-time USF assistant). Watson compiled 21.5 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks in 24 career games with the Colonials.
Watson returned home in 2023 to care for his ailing grandfather. He entered the transfer portal and signed with USF. But he had to sit out that season (Golesh's first at USF), playing on the scout team, because he wasn't eligible (he had transferred twice without graduating).
So, he bided his time until 2024, when he had several impactful moments, including a memorable forced fumble at Florida Atlantic that essentially swung momentum to USF for good in a thunderous victory.
"Rico is a great kid and a great player who constantly makes plays,'' Orlando said.
Meanwhile, Harris, who grew up 40 miles outside of Houston, dreamed of becoming a University of Texas player from the moment when he saw Vince Young lead the Longhorns past a dynastic USC team in the Rose Bowl's national-championship game. Orlando was on the Texas staff when the Longhorns first took an interest in Harris, who had most of his senior prep season wiped out by an ACL injury.
Fun fact: Harris was also an excellent swimmer at New Caney High School. He had the long and lean body of a freestyle swimming sprinter, but also the bulk that made people raise their eyebrows. The school's swimming coaches said football players had swam before, but none as large as Harris, who brought a competitive fervor into the pool that raised everyone's level.
In two football seasons at Texas, things didn't work out as expected for Harris, who entered the transfer portal and became part of head coach Alex Golesh's first USF recruiting class. Harris was intrigued by the presence of Orlando, who was supposed to be his Texas defensive coordinator before the coach shifted to USC (2020-21).
Now they are reunited.
"I had the connection with Coach T.O. (Orlando), but I also loved the plan of Coach Golesh and felt USF was going to be an up-and-coming program and start doing some damage,'' Harris said. "That has proven to be true and I'm so glad I'm here. Coach T.O. really knows what he's doing and he's going to put us in the right spots to succeed.''
The B-backer is a good example of that. Just when you think you have it figured out, Orlando provides a different twist. Sometimes, he'll have three B-backers on the field in third-down situations for a maximum-effort pass rush.
"You can call it what you want, but it's a luxury to have the guys we put at our B-backer position,'' Orlando said. "They have length. They can run. They allows us to be really multiple and unpredictable.
"It's difficult because there are probably only about 10 real, real ones (B-backer types) in the country and about 15 more that you have to develop … and everybody wants those guys. We're fortunate to have some good personnel at that position and it has paid off for us.''
–#GoBulls–
