The Hawaii Bowl victory is a distant, pleasant memory.
Spring football drills are more than a month away and the sweat and toil of winter workouts are underway.
Far from the large crowds at Raymond James Stadium, lost in the day-to-day grind of a seemingly anonymous February, the USF Bulls are going about the business of building their 2025 team.
"When we got here, I said we were going to build a program, rather than (just) a team,'' said head coach Alex Golesh, who's entering his third USF season. "I think we're right on schedule with that.''
The Bulls are coming off back-to-back winning seasons (and bowl victories, a first for a USF head coach in their first two campaigns), while positioning themselves for upward mobility in the American Athletic Conference. The quest for an AAC title will occur after the Bulls tangle with the most ambitious non-conference schedule in USF program history. A three-game opening gauntlet of vs. Boise State in Raymond James Stadium and road games at Florida and Miami. Teams Athlon Sports recently ranked No. 24, No. 14 and No. 8, respectively, in its early 2025 preseason Top 25.
Golesh was enthused with USF's additions through recruiting and the transfer portal — a 40-player haul that will take up a significant chunk of the anticipated 105-member roster. While fans break down depth charts and speculate about who might crack USF's starting lineup, Golesh said he emphasizes personality traits, winning pedigree and locker-room chemistry.
"As you look at the profile of who we're trying to get, whether it's a high-school kid or a (transfer) portal kid, you look at the character, the ability to work through hard (situations), the ability to face adversity,'' Golesh said. "All of that almost outweighs physical characteristics in some ways. We feel like if we get a young man here, with the resources and (support) people we have, we can develop them better than anybody in the country.
"More than any other time in college football (history), the easiest thing to do is say, 'Man, I don't like my situation. I'm out.' So, the ability to take young men from a character standpoint who have been through the hard, who know how to win, who understand what it is to build and sustain success, that is almost more important than a young man who has the physical traits.''
Golesh described the recruiting process as "mitigating risk.''
"It's how little of a risk can you take?'' Golesh said. "Because just as much as the player (skills), the locker room is so critically important. You want players who add value, both on the field and in the locker room, because you spend every day trying to make sure that the locker room is right and that the culture is being built the right way.
"It takes one guy to blow up the locker-room culture. I think I've probably been more guarded than ever. When you get desperate (for talent), desperate people do desperate things and you kind of miss more than you should. I feel like we're more confident in what we're doing and how we're doing it. If there's a question (of character) on a guy, you just say, 'I'm good,' and you move on.''
Golesh was particularly excited that 28 of the USF newcomers have enrolled early and will participate in the offseason program as well as the 15 spring practices, which begin March 25.
Offensively, the Bulls will work immediately with offensive linemen transfers Connor McLaughlin (6-foot-7, 295 pounds, Jesuit High School/Stanford), Thomas Shrader (6-5, 305, Venice High/Appalachian State) and Khalil Walker (6-5, 310, Coffeyville CC), plus freshmen Collin Bellamy (6-7, 270, Powder Springs, Ga.), Khalil Collins (6-1, 288, Moultrie, Ga.) and Gerrick Gordon Jr. (6-4, 290, Carrollwood Day High).
The other offensive transfers who are available for spring duty are running back Cartevious Norton (5-11, 225, Charlotte), wide receiver Chas Nimrod (6-2, 185, Tennessee), and tight end Wyatt Sullivan (6-4, 245, Florida Atlantic), plus freshmen such as tight end Tayte Crable (6-5, 215, Massillon, Ohio), quarterback Locklan Hewlett (6-1, 190, St. Augustine), wide receiver Jeremiah Koger (6-3, 190, Baltimore), tight end Brandon Kubay (6-3, 225, Manitoba, Canada) and wide receiver Kory Pettigrew (6-1, 180, Kathleen, Ga.).
The Bulls have also welcomed to campus five defensive transfers — defensive linemen Dre Butler (6-5, 280, Charlotte), Josh Celiscar (6-3, 292, Texas A&M) and Jacob Merrifield (6-2, 285, Florida Atlantic), plus defensive backs Jonas Duclona (5-11, 190, Wisconsin) and Boogsie Silvera (5-11, 191, McNeese State). The five defensive freshmen who will participate in spring include defensive end Eli Jones (6-3, 245, Venice High), safety Jeremiah Jones (6-0, 185, Sumner High), linebacker Gavin Leach (Newburgh, Ind.), safety Jabari Smith (5-11, 155, Orlando Wekiva High) and defensive end Brooks Williams Jr. (6-6, 220, Port St. Lucie West Centennial High).
Also available: transfer place-kickers Leon Chase (Lamar) and Adam Zouagui (Davidson), long snapper Turner McLaughlin (Tennessee Tech) and punter Luke Goater (ProKick Australia).
USF's 27-player freshman class, from the NCAA's early and late signing periods, was hailed as the second-best in the American Athletic Conference and second nationally (outside of the autonomous four conferences) by Rivals, 247Sports and On3.
Golesh said he was gratified by the work of his staff and excited by the roster enhancement.
But now it's time to work.
"It's very important to create the right environment and that starts right now,'' Golesh said. "It's starts in the weight room. It starts in winter workouts.
"Our first year was spent primarily trying to get these guys to not be hurt. The physical demand of what we went into Year One was drastically different than what they (returners) were used to. We were just trying to stabilize. Last year, we spent the entire winter workouts on leadership and communicating on the field. In Year Three, we're going in to win a workout. It will feel old school. But now we are more physically prepared to do what we want to do.''
That includes a nutrition program and a meticulous recognition of what each player is putting into his body.
That includes the benefits of rest and recovery — and a sleep regimen of eight to 10 hours per night.
That includes the mental preparation to endure the physical rigors.
USF football has come a long way. But the Bulls aren't where they want to be — yet.
The place is here. The time is now. And the offseason work has begun.
–#GoBulls–
