Athlon, Lindy's and Phil Steele make preseason all-conference selections
 
TAMPA, FLA., July 7, 2025 – With the 2025 South Florida Football Season presented by Tampa General Hospital less than two months from kicking off, several Bulls appear on all-conference team projections announced by preseason publications.
 
The Bulls will open their third season under head coach Alex Golesh in a nationally televised game on ESPN on Thursday, Aug. 28, vs. Boise State in a 5:30 p.m. kickoff at Raymond James Stadium. Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview projected Boise State in its 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, ranking the Broncos No. 25 in its preseason poll, and projected the Bulls as a contender to win the American Athletic Conference and unseat the Broncos for that playoff spot.
 
The Bulls 2025 campaign starts with three straight games against teams in Athlon's Preseason Top 25. South Florida follows up the clash with Boise State with contests at No. 11 Florida (Sept. 6, 4:30 p.m.,) and No. 10 Miami (Sept. 13, 4:15 p.m.) before rounding out the non-conference campaign with a home date vs. South Carolina State (Sept. 20, noon).
 
South Florida saw 15 Bulls appear on at least one preseason all-conference list from Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports or Phil Steele. Five Bulls appeared on all three publication's preseason lists, including linebacker Mac Harris, linebacker Jhalyn Shuler, defensive tackle Josh Celiscar, running back Cartevious Norton, wide receiver Keshaun Singleton, guard Zane Herring and kicker Nico Gramatica. Harris, who led the Bulls in tackles (82), tackles for loss (12) and sacks (4) last season, received two first-team nods and a second-team selection.
 
Lindy's Sports also named quarterback Byrum Brown the "Best Scrambler" and the "Coolest in the Clutch" in The American, while giving its "Best Hands" title in the conference to wide receiver Keshaun Singleton.
 
ATHLON SPORTS PRESEASON ALL-AAC
First Team
LB Mac Harris
CB De'Shawn Rucker
 
Second Team
QB Byrum Brown
RB Cartevious Norton
WR Keshaun Singleton
OL Zane Herring
K Nico Gramatica
 
Third Team
OL Cole Best
DL Rico Watson III
LB Jhalyn Shuler
 
Fourth Team
OL Derek Bowman
DL Josh Celiscar
DL Dre Butler
 
LINDY'S SPORTS PRESEASON ALL-AAC
First Team
RB Cartevious Norton
LB Mac Harris
 
Second Team
WR Keshaun Singleton
OL Zane Herring
DT Josh Celiscar
LB Jhalyn Shuler
K Nico Gramatica
 
PHIL STEELE PRESEASON ALL-AAC
First Team
CB De'Shawn Rucker
 
Second Team
WR Keshaun Singleton
LB Mac Harris
S Tavin Ward
 
Third Team
RB Cartevious Norton
OL Thomas Shrader
 
Fourth Team
OL Zane Herring
DT Josh Celiscar
LB Jhalyn Shuler
K Nico Gramatica
 
Up Next:
USF will hold the annual Kickoff Luncheon on Aug. 20 at Armature Works in downtown Tampa. The annual event will feature head coach Alex Golesh and the entire USF team and coaching staff. Public tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
 
Tickets:
Deposits for new 2025 USF football season tickets are being accepted now and may be placed by calling 1-800-GoBulls or visiting this LINK.
 
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ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 28th season in 2024 with its second-straight bowl victory in the Hawai'i Bowl. Head coach Alex Golesh posted a program-best six-game turnaround and a Boca Raton Bowl victory in his first season in 2023. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 17 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 33 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 12 bowl game appearances (going 8-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.