Two years ago, when USF head coach Alex Golesh first appeared at the American Athletic Conference Media Days, hardly anyone had a question. Golesh said the unspoken truth was disturbing. He sensed that outsiders deemed USF's football program as irrelevant.

"When you're in your own bubble, you feel like you're building and growing,'' Golesh said. "Then you go to a stage like that (AAC Media Days) and … literally nobody cares. None of our players were on preseason all-conference lists.

"But when you get back with your coaches and players, you know that everyone was motivated to make USF football worthy of conversation. I think we felt our day was coming.''

That day has arrived.

* When Golesh returns this week to AAC Media Days in Charlotte, N.C. — accompanied by center Cole Best and defensive back De'Shawn Rucker — USF football should be very much in the conversation.

* The Bulls are coming off back-to-back 7-6 finishes and bowl-game victories, including last season's epic five-overtime victory against San Jose State at the Hawaii Bowl.

* USF's early season non-conference slate — perennial power Boise State on Aug. 28 in an ESPN clash at Raymond James Stadium, followed by trips to Florida (Sept. 6) and Miami (Sept. 13) — is among the nation's most ambitious schedules.

* Fifteen Bulls were selected for All-AAC honors by college football's three major preseason magazines. Linebacker Mac Harris (Athlon, Lindy's) and Rucker (Athlon, Phil Steele) made a pair of first-teams, while running back Cartevious Norton was a Lindy's first-teamer. Wide receiver Keshaun Singleton was a second-team pick by each magazine, while getting a "Best Hands'' in the AAC designation from Lindy's. Meanwhile, Lindy's also named quarterback Byrum Brown, healthy again after missing eight games with injury in 2024, as the AAC's "Best Scrambler'' and "Coolest in the Clutch.''

* USF has added 53 new players since its Hawaii Bowl victory, including eight defensive transfers since the spring game occurred on April 26.

"We're still getting better,'' Golesh said. "Sometimes the amount of progress doesn't show up immediately in the win-loss record. But, we've built something at USF and I'm proud of what we've built. I think we're ready to take the next step.''

And that next logical step is raising an AAC championship trophy.

"I don't think there's any question that we're capable of being a great team,'' nickel back Jarvis Lee said. "We've got a lot of new guys, but they've all taken positive steps and bought into our program. They're all great teammates and that's really important.

"Our goal is bigger than just winning ball games or winning a bowl. We want to win a championship here at USF. It's time. I think it's our time. We're ready to lay it on the line.''

And speaking of the line …

When Golesh spotlights the units that give him the most optimism, he starts with the offensive and defensive lines.

"That's generally where games are won and I feel great about what we have there,'' Golesh said.

On the offensive line, the Bulls have four returning starters, including Best, Jack Wilty, Zane Herring and Derek Bowman. There are five players featuring a combined 87 starts with the Bulls, including veteran center Mike Lofton. USF also added Stanford transfer tackle Connor McLaughlin (6-foot-7, 295 pounds) and Appalachian State transfer guard Thomas Shrader (6-5, 305).

On the defensive line, the Bulls went through spring ball with transfers Josh Celiscar (Texas A&M), Dre Butler (Charlotte) and Jacob Merrifield (Florida Atlantic). Golesh and his coaches still felt USF needed D-line depth, so post-spring additions included Arkansas State/Murray State transfer Dennard Flowers (6-2, 250), Vanderbilt transfer Devin Lee (6-2, 290) and West Florida transfer Traevon Mitchell (6-2, 280).

"I'm really itching to see some of those D-line guys once the pads come on,'' Golesh said. "We've made a huge investment on our D-line. We needed more bodies — really, really good bodies — and we like our depth right now. Our new D-line guys have played a ton of football. And as far as the offensive line, that is where we're the deepest in terms of veteran presence.''

Coming out of spring, Golesh also had concerns about running-back depth. He continues to tout Norton, a Charlotte transfer, who could be the running game's first option. But now there's Oklahoma transfer Sam Franklin (5-10, 202), who prior to OU rushed for 2,129 yards and 20 touchdowns in three seasons at Tennessee-Martin, where he earned All-America status for that Football Championship Subdivision program. Franklin also established himself as an elite kickoff returner, making him an early favorite to earn that role with the Bulls.

"Sam played so much football at Tennessee-Martin and he was as dynamic as they come,'' Golesh said. "He was one of the best running backs in FCS football. So, he had the opportunity to move to Oklahoma but found himself in a really deep running-back room. I think he realized, 'Man, I need to find a situation where they lost a lot of production.' And that was certainly USF, right?''

The Bulls 2024 running back trio — Kelley Joiner, Nay'Quan Wright and Ta'Ron Keith —combined for 1,728 yards and 28 touchdowns. All saw their eligibility completed.

"Sam Franklin is a Kelley Joiner type, where, at any moment, he has a chance to go the distance,'' Golesh said. "But he's also a bigger back who can help in pass protection and make the physical yards. He's also a great kick returner and we desperately needed that. So, a great fit all around.''

Golesh said the Bulls also picked up another interesting skill-position player after spring ball in Stanford transfer Mudia Reuben, a 6-2, 205-pound wide receiver. Reuben received his Stanford undergraduate degree in three years.

"His best football is ahead of him,'' Golesh said. "He only played two seasons of high-school ball. Physically, he has every imaginable tool — the size, the speed, the length — but he just hasn't played a ton of ball. He redshirted as a freshman, was productive as a rotational guy the next year with some big plays, then he got hurt with an ankle last season in week three.

"I think Mudia knows he has some things to prove. He gives us multiplicity because we're playing him some in the slot, but also on the outside, which is probably his natural home. I think he needs to get settled in and get some camp reps. But he has some good years left, so we see a big future.''

USF begins training camp on Monday, July 28 — about a month away from the opener against Boise State.

Overall, even in the era of revenue-sharing, NIL and the transfer portal, Golesh said he still has "crazy energy'' and "cannot wait until we kick this thing off.''

"What you learn is you do recruit your own problems and you do recruit your own headaches,'' Golesh said. "I think I've become more guarded through recruiting by seeing red flags and acknowledging that they're there. We don't bring in just anybody. You're very careful who you bring into your locker room. I believe we brought in a lot of great players and a lot of great people.

"The game hasn't changed in terms of the young guys who still need and want to be coached and loved. It's still about developing players, building a team and finding ways to win games. And I think with what we've built after two seasons, we've put USF football in a really good position.''

The USF Bulls?

On the eve of the 2025 AAC Media Days, there's definitely something to talk about.

–#GoBulls–