Coming out of high school, USF wide receiver Bryson Rodgers had his pick of big-time colleges — about 50 Division I offers in all. He chose Ohio State over Alabama, LSU and Florida. He won a national championship with the Buckeyes. He was surrounded by a position room filled with future first-round picks.
Now B-Rod has returned home — to a place where he first made a name for himself as a four-star recruit at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Pasco County. The plans haven't changed. He still intends to make a huge impact in college football. He still wants to play in the NFL.
Rodgers said he can accomplish those lofty goals — and more — with the USF Bulls. He has reunited with USF head coach Brian Hartline, the guy who recruited him to Ohio State and taught him the intricacies of becoming a top-flight receiver.
"I had a lot of big-school opportunities coming out of high school and there wasn't too much of a focus on USF (at that time),'' Rodgers said. "But it's not the same as now. Coach Hartline coming here and developing that culture and how our players have reacted to the culture has put us on a different pedestal.
"I've seen the big schools. I've seen the Alabama's and the Clemson's. But it's all about the culture. We are embodying that to the fullest and (we're) going to elevate this program to another level that a lot of people and fans would never even imagine.''
Rodgers (6-foot-2, 192 pounds), who set Wiregrass Ranch program records for receptions (110), receiving yards (1,625) and touchdown catches (29) while working with quarterback Rocco Becht, has been part of an ultra-talented receiving corps at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes, with Hartline coaching the wideouts, produced five first-round picks at receiver over three seasons.
"Actually, six,'' Rodgers said. "Carnell Tate will be the first receiver off the board (in the upcoming NFL Draft).''
So much talent, but only so many opportunities.
Rodgers played in 22 games with 11 career receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown (on fourth-and-5 against UCLA). But the numbers don't reveal how Rodgers learned how to block and how he discovered the magic of running precise pass patterns.
Seeking a new opportunity, it seemed natural for Rodgers to come home and play for Hartline.
"Obviously, we're familiar with Bryson and believe in him,'' Hartline said. "He has all the tools to be a great success, and we believe he's really going to help our USF program.''
But Rodgers isn't asking for favored treatment.
"I don't want this to be a cruise,'' Rodgers said. "I don't want to just walk in and (have people say), 'Oh, he's that guy from Ohio State.' I'm coming to work every day and I'm challenging myself.
"I want to find ways to challenge myself. OK, I know X, Y and Z on offense. Cool. But how can I be a coach? How can I teach somebody else what I know and let them make a play? That's the bigger part for me. It's making everybody around me even better, developing that leadership mentality, rallying my guys up and keeping them level-headed. You drop the ball or mess up the assignment? It's all about the next-play mentality. You've got to make the next one (play), like there's no other choice.''
Rodgers' football IQ has been on full display during USF's spring practices.
"I love what he has been doing,'' offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. "He understands the system, but his route-running, you can see that he has been (working) with Coach Hartline. You can tell that he is sharp.''
In Thursday's practice, the defensive back had outside leverage on Rodgers, who ran an out route. So, the quarterback initially bypassed Rodgers — as he is coached to do — but Rodgers still got open.
"B-Rod understands what it takes to win and we feed off that,'' Beck said. "You want your group to play at a standard that we've set offensively. Make sure you demand it of yourself, then get (other) players to play like that.
"He's long. He's fast. He's elusive. When he made that move (Thursday), I was like, 'Whoa!' He just worked that guy (defensive back).''
Rodgers said he's confident he can become a productive player at USF, which has a history of acquiring great receivers who began at other places, such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling (NC State), Rodney Adams (Toledo) and current pass-catcher Mudia Reuben (Stanford).
"You know your worth and your ability,'' Rodgers said. "At the end of the day, I believe in my worth and the things I could do. I want to have the stats. But more than that, I want to win. Forget the stats. That stats come when you win. Winners win.
"Coach (Hartline) says that all the time. Winners win. We're trying to go 12-0, conference championship, CFP, those are the goals. Nothing less than that. So, my biggest focus, statistically or not, is helping us win. That's making a block, making a big play on third down, whatever it takes to win.''
That's the influence of Hartline. At Ohio State, Rodgers said the coach took him "from a 17-year-old boy to a man … changing my mindset, showing me how to treat people.'' Now he's looking forward to even more improvement.
"Dude (Hartline) was a mastermind, bro,'' Rodgers said. "He's one-of-one. He's the best to ever do it probably if you look at receiver coaches and the durability of production he has had.
"Any chance I get to pick his mind on ball, on life and just how he operates, day-in and day-out … he brings the same intensity and intentionality every day. That guy knows ball and not just receivers. He knows running backs, quarterbacks. He has elevated my game. He's going to elevate this USF program.''
B-Rod has returned home. He's a grown man at 21 with a national-championship ring. And now there's an opportunity to do something extra special at USF.
"I am embracing this opportunity,'' Rodgers said. "It's a picture-perfect moment for myself.''
–#GoBulls–
