USF 2022 Season Outlook
As the season is upon us the Bulls will prepare for their first matchup of the year against the BYU Cougars. Throughout the off-season, USF added a lot of talent and depth to its roster which could just propel them to a winning season. The USF 2022 season outlook shows off some of how the off-season has contributed to the 2022 season. All that being said, USF has a lot to prove after struggling the last two seasons.
Offensive Transfers
The off-season for the Bulls was definitely one for the books. USF was extremely fortunate to have received a lot of talent through the portal. For starters, Gerry Bohanon recently won the starting quarterback job for the Bulls over Timmy McClain and Katravis Marsh. A couple of other big-name transfers on the offensive side of the ball are Ajou Ajou, Khafre Brown, and Michel Dukes.
USF will hope to utilize these players’ talents this coming year. With how tough the non-conference and conference schedule is these important transfers will have to step up. From a bird’s eye view, you can easily see that the Bulls will have more weapons at the wide receiver position. The running back scenario for the Bulls looks like it won’t change too much except for the addition of Michel dukes.
Defensive Transfers
On top of the good offensive transfers the Bulls got, there were also some talented players on the defensive side that USF received. Some of these high-end transfers even came from power five schools which was a plus for USF. To begin, James Gordon IV, Derrell Bailey Jr., and Jatorian Hansford were all huge pickups. Adding on to that list the Bulls were also able to grab Ray Thornton who is a talented safety for Clemson.
Just like the transfers on the offensive side of the ball, these players must perform for USF to have any sort of success. Considering the AAC (American Athletic Conference) is growing there will be no “easy games” for the Bulls when it comes to conference play. The Bulls’ defense will have to raise their level of play to ensure no games come down to who can score the most points.
Returning Faces
As transfers were coming in and out of the program this off-season, a couple of big-name guys that were previously on the team decided to continue with the Bulls. The biggest one out of the bunch was Antonio Grier. Grier was easily a top-three defensive player on the team for USF last year. Another huge returner on the offensive line was Donovan Jennings.
Both guys are graduate students who will make big impacts for the Bulls. These players will be crucial to USF by bringing the leadership into the locker room. Regardless though the returners from all parts of the team will be a huge piece of the puzzle to the Bulls’ success. The Bulls returners will be looked at to show the young and new guys the improved culture that this team is trying to bring about in the program.
The New and Improved
Even with all the new transfers, the Bulls will still need all the help they can get from their returning players. This season for USF is going to be a challenging one because there are some new faces. For the most part, though this is still the same team who put up a fight against Cincinnati and Houston last year.
The Bulls will have to get used to the different style of play under the new offensive coordinator Travis Trickett. In due time though the USF offense might just be what makes them stand out. The USF defense did bring back a lot of talent as well which should be a key for them. The Bulls’ new look on offense and defense should be something a lot of people don’t expect.
Expectations
With Jeff Scott entering his third season as the Bulls’ head coach a lot of people are expecting “better.” The Bulls have struggled heavily the past two seasons under Jeff Scott. They went 1-7 in his first season and 2-10 in his second season. Considering the Bulls have a hard schedule no wins will come easy for them this season. Furthermore, the Bulls should be one of the hungrier teams in the AAC this coming season because they have a lot to prove.
Of course, every season is a fresh start and a new beginning at what could be. The Bulls should have a much better outcome this season considering the moves they made this past off-season. Expecting a 12-0 team might be a little far to reach, but with this new team, the Bulls have a bunch of potential.
