USF Football Offensive Preview: "Plain and Simple, We Want to be Physical"
August 24, 2026 | Football
It doesn't take long to figure out the preferred method of offensive football for Coach Brian Hartline's University of South Florida Bulls.
"Plain and simple, we want to be physical,'' offensive coordinator Tim Beck said.
"One of the things that attracted me to Coach Hartline, this offense and this system was getting back to that old-school football,'' running backs coach Elijah Brooks said. "Being physical, coming downhill, power, counter, ISO. We're in a day and age where the game is spread out a lot more. This is refreshing for a running back coach.''
"Running the football is what we're going to do,'' offensive line coach Mike Sollene said. "That's how you establish the tone. That's how you control the football game.''
Of course, the Bulls will look to make big plays in the passing game, seeking to exploit favorable matchups. The tight ends will be featured. The quarterbacks will be charged with making sound judgments, protecting the ball and keeping the chains moving.
Which brings us to the running backs, a position that sometimes gets undervalued in a pass-happy era of go-go-go tactics. With the Bulls, though, the running backs are vital.
"If a guy can't do all three — running the ball, catching the ball and pass protection — it will be hard for them to play,'' Brooks said. "Our guys understand how important their role is to the success of our offense. We're confident that we have a room with that type of versatility.''
Two transfer newcomers — D.J. Crowther (5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Dartmouth) and Jason Collins Jr. (5-9, 190, Morgan State) — should figure prominently.
Last season at Dartmouth, where he earned an undergraduate degree in sociology, Crowther rushed for 929 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games, while catching 16 passes for 120 yards. Crowther seems to fully understand his role.
"I think one of the things the coaches liked was my ability to run physically between the tackles and not let the first person (tackler) bring me down,'' Crowther said. "Also, pass protection. That's really important nowadays. The quarterback needs time to get the ball to his receivers. If you can't pass protect as a running back, you're not going to play. It's pretty much that simple.''
Collins, a Washington, D.C. native who was Washington Post first-team All-Met coming out of high school, rushed for 1,009 yards and 13 touchdowns in 18 career games with Morgan State. He caught 31 passes for 205 yards, while registering a pair of 100-yard rushing games. Collins has the toughness to run inside, but his burst and change-of-speed ability makes him a threat on the outside.
The Bulls also have a trio of backfield returners who should figure into the rotation — Alvon Isaac (5-9, 190), Chase Garnett (5-9, 205) and Tray Kinkle (5-11, 200).
Isaac was a productive player last season, ranking third on the team with 841 all-purpose yards - 350 rushing yards (4.8-yard average), 14 receptions for 141 yards, six punt returns (21.0 average) and 10 kickoff returns (22.4 average) – and being named to the Hornung Award (most versatile player) watch list this preseason. He had one of the biggest plays of 2025 — a 29-yard screen pass on the game's final drive that positioned the Bulls for an 18-16 victory against the Florida Gators at Gainesville. Freshmen last year, Garnett rushed for 81 yards (on eight carries) in limited duty, while coaches have praised Kinkle's potential to become a game-breaker.
"It's a good group,'' Beck said. "They're all very talented, tough and capable of giving us the physical play we're looking for.''
Here's a quick sprint around South Florida's other offensive position groups:
Quarterbacks: Van Buren To Start?
That was the indication Monday morning when ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news, quoting sources, that LSU transfer Michael Van Buren Jr. (6-0, 190) would start for the Bulls in the Sept. 5 opener against FIU. Through spring football and three weeks of fall camp, Van Buren and Luke Kromenhoek (6-4, 220) have battled through what by all accounts is a close competition with two very capable competitors under center. Both were 4-star prospects coming out of high school. Both have started big-time games in college (Van Buren at Mississippi State and LSU; Kromenhoek at Florida State). Van Buren appears to be more elusive, while Kromenhoek, also a good runner, has the classic QB frame. Hartline said he and his staff were prioritizing a QB who avoids mistakes, gets the Bulls into the right play and efficiently delivers to the playmakers. "We're going to need them both,'' Hartline said.
Van Buren comes into 2026 having played in 17 games and made 12 starts in the SEC, starting the last eight games of 2024 at Mississippi State and the last four of 2025 at LSU. In his last start for LSU, he threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns vs. Houston in the Texas Bowl. His starts for the Bulldogs in 2024 included games at No. 1 Texas, at No. 5 Georgia, vs. No. 14 Texas A&M, at No. 7 Tennessee and at No. 15 Ole Miss. He threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas and logged three touchdown passes at Texas A&M.
Van Buren comes into 2026 having passed for 2,896 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine interceptions and a 57.5 percent completion percentage. The elusive runner has also logged 117 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Kromenhoek came to Tampa having seen action in nine career collegiate games, with two starts at Florida State. He is the only true freshman in Florida State history to pass for three touchdowns in their first career start. Coming out of high school, he was rated the No. 3 quarterback and No. 30 overall prospect in America and the No. 4 prospect from Georgia by On3.
Receivers: No Shortage Of Candidates
Receivers coach Myles White played five NFL seasons. With Hartline's experience at the position — seven NFL seasons, plus developing seven first-round Ohio State receivers in the past five years — the Bulls' pass-catchers are in an enviable spot. "If you're a receiver, there's no better place to be than USF,'' White said. "If I want to learn karate, I'm going to someone who has been in a fight, right? You're getting first-hand knowledge from the head coach and position coach. I'm not just making this stuff up. I didn't (just) go to a clinic. I learned from the hard-knocks side of it.'' White described the Bulls' receivers as "very, very dynamic.'' There's a productive returning player in Mudia Reuben (6-2, 210), who had 36 receptions for 495 yards and five touchdowns last season, plus holdovers Joshua Porter (6-0, 193), Jaden Alexis (6-0, 200), JeyQuan Smith (5-10, 190) and Arkese Parks (6-2, 275). There's also a talented group of transfers, including Bryson Rodgers (6-2, 192, Ohio State); Arhmad Branch (6-0, 185, Purdue); Jaron Glover (6-1, 208, Mississippi State); Cameron Seldon (6-1, 215, Virginia Tech); Kenny Odom (5-10, 178, UTEP); and Armani Winfield (6-2, 200, Colorado State).
Tight Ends: Could They Be … Weapons?
Last season, about 11-percent of South Florida's pass receptions were made by tight ends. At Ohio State, where Hartline served as offensive coordinator for several seasons, about 23-percent of the receptions were made by tight ends and the Buckeyes liberally employed multiple tight-end packages. Wyatt Sullivan (6-4, 245), who started five games last year, sees opportunity. "I love the way tight ends were utilized (at Ohio State),'' Sullivan said. "I'm ready.'' Sullivan promises it won't be a one-man show. During a recent media interview, Sullivan enthusiastically opened by showering praise upon the entire position room — including holdover Evan Dangler (6-3, 245), Luke Clyburn (6-7, 255, Furman) and Kade Caton (6-5, 250, Oregon). "Evan Dangler is going to be a dawg for us this season,'' Sullivan said. "Luke Clyburn, shout out to him, he will be a big part of what we're doing this year. And the potential of Kade is to the ceiling. He's going to be a big-time playmaker in the future at this program.'' But make no mistake, it begins with Sullivan (18 catches, two touchdowns last season), who impressed coaches from the jump with his positive attitude and superior work ethic. "He has a ton of skills and elite movement skills, but your makeup will determine how well you do,'' tight ends coach Sean Binckes said. "He has been awesome to coach. All he wants is more and more information (on how to improve).''
Offensive Line: Here's The Beef
It looks like South Florida's offensive line could average in the neighborhood of 6-foot-4, 311 pounds, which would make it one of the largest units in program history. There's only one returning starter – guard Thomas Shrader (6-5, 312) – an unsurprising development in the transfer-portal era. Despite the other starters potentially having arrived at South Florida in the last six to seven months, the O-lineman said they have bonded nicely and the chemistry couldn't be better. With eight transfers combining for 98 career starts, there are definitely quality options. Guard Caleb Cook (6-3, 315), who started 25 games at Georgia Southern, made the watch list for the Outland Trophy (nation's best interior lineman). Tackle Michael Wooten (6-5, 315), who played at Oregon and Arizona, has whipped himself into top shape trimming 30 pounds in the offseason. The Bulls expect to have great depth in size and talent across the line and the competition in camp has been strong alongside a focus on building cohesion and unity. "One of our spring goals was building trust,'' offensive line coach Mike Sollene said. "You know how you spell love? T-I-M-E. The more time you spend with the guys, with each other as a unit doing things, you build that bond. I've been happy with how our chemistry, teamwork and togetherness has been built.''
Kickers/Punters: Looking Solid
PK Nico Gramatica, named to the Lou Groza Award watch list, returns for his third season, already established as a top-flight weapon (having gone 21-for-29 on field-goal attempts in two years, including a program-record five makes from 50 yards or longer). Nico's uncles, Bill and Santiago, also kicked for the Bulls. His father, Martin, was a Pro Bowl kicker and Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not enough Gramatica's for you? Nico's younger brother, Gaston Gramatica, is a South Florida freshman. Meanwhile, for the ninth consecutive season, South Florida's primary punter will be an Australian. Make way for Luke Goater, the ProKick Australia import who impressed in limited 2025 duty (nine punts, 36.2-yard average, one touchback, two fair catches, two inside the 20). Hartline, like every touchdown-minded head coach, would be fine if Goater rarely sees the field.
Returners: Ready And Able
With booming kickoffs into the end zone and carefully placed punts, returning opportunities sometimes get minimized. Last season, Isaac handled most of the return duties on kickoffs (10 returns for a 22.4-yard average) and punts (six returns for a 21-yard average, including a 41-yarder). Josh Porter, a sure-handed option, has punt-return experience. JeyQuan Smith, one of the team's fastest players, has been utilized as a kickoff returner. Expect new options to emerge among the Bulls' 62 new players entering the 2026 season.
–#GoBulls–
Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer
