Tag: USF Bulls

Bucs don’t have to look far for a sleeper OL in the 2024 NFL draft

The Bucs know how to find gems along the offensive line in the later rounds, and this local prospect fits the bill

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht knows how to find diamonds in the rough along the offensive line every year in the NFL draft, and it, and this time around, he won’t have to look far.

One of the most underrated blockers in the 2024 class is USF’s Donovan Jennings, who played his college ball at Raymond James Stadium for the Bulls.

Jennings brings a fantastic combination of experience and athleticism to the table, two things the Bucs value highly in all of their potential draft picks. He backed up his solid film with a strong week at the East-West Shrine Game, as then put on a show at USF’s pro day workout:

Tampa Bay needs as much help as they can get along the interior of the offense line, and spending a Day 3 pick on Jennings would give them a high-upside player who could quickly develop into a potential starter.

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Former Georgia basketball assistant takes head coach job with USF

Former UGA basketball assistant coach Amir Abdur-Rahim is now the head coach at South Florida

Former Georgia basketball assistant coach Amir Abdur-Rahim is now the head coach at South Florida. Amir Abdur-Rahim took the head coaching job at Kennesaw State back in 2019.

Abdur-Rahim helped Kennesaw State make the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Kennesaw State was a No. 14 seed in March Madness and lost its opening game to Xavier. Kennesaw State finished the 2022-2023 basketball season with a 26-9 record.

Amir Abdur-Rahim replaces former South Florida coach Brian Gregory in Tampa, Florida. USF last made the NCAA Tournament in 2012. The Bulls have had one winning season since 2012, which was during the 2018-2019 season under Brian Gregory.

Former UGA assistant coach Amir Abdur-Rahim is a rising name in college basketball. C. Morgan Engel-USA TODAY Sports

Amir Abdur-Rahim was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and played high school basketball in Georgia. He coached at Georgia from 2018-2019 under head coach Tom Crean.

Kennesaw State went just 1-28 in Abdur-Rahim’s first season at the helm, but he helped turn the program around. USF is coming off a 14-18 season.

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5 major takeaways from Florida’s midweek series against USF

Florida couldn’t close out win No. 5 of the season and ended up splitting a home-and-home series with the USF Bulls over the week.

Florida was two outs away from starting the season 5-0, but a ninth-inning collapse on Wednesday led to the Gators’ first loss of the year in heartbreaking fashion.

Sometimes, coaches and scouts learn more from a loss than a win – the Gators won on Tuesday, 6-1. Florida doesn’t have many holes, but a sloppy night in the field and a meltdown from the bullpen exposed the team’s weak points far earlier in the season than [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] would have liked.

It’s not all bad news for the Gators, though. Things seem bleak because of a loss that never should have happened, but the truth is that Florida is still one of the most promising teams in the country. The whole team is hitting (except [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag]), and the freshmen who got a chance on the mound during the week looked promising.

Florida should still be confident heading into the weekend, but there’s clearly plenty to work on in practice.

Ninth-inning collapse leads to Florida’s first loss of season

An epic ninth-inning collapse led to Florida’s first loss of the season Wednesday night. USF splits the season series with a 10-9 win.

Florida (4-1) led for most of the game against USF Wednesday night, but a ninth-inning meltdown led to the Gators blowing a five-run lead and taking the loss, 10-9.

There was plenty to like from UF, including a decent outing from freshman right-hander [autotag]Yoel Tejeda Jr[/autotag]. in his first-career start, but the late collapse is going to overshadow any positives from the evening. For what it’s worth, every Florida starter got a base hit, and [autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] was stellar out of the bullpen.

Game Recap

Tejeda got the start for Florida and lasted three innings. He had a clean first inning despite walking Bobby Boser on four pitches, but the second and third were tough for Tejeda. He got out of a jam in the second, stranding a pair of Bulls in scoring position, but wasn’t as lucky in the third.

Tejeda started what should have been a 1-6-3 double play, but shortstop [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] made an errant throw to first and allowed a run to score. The 6-foot-8-inch freshman should have been out of the inning, but he surrendered another run after giving up a walk and a single instead.

At that point, Florida’s offense hadn’t gotten going yet and only managed to score a single run through the first two innings. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] homered in the first, but it took until the second time through the lineup for Florida to add some more runs.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] hit a long sac fly into foul territory to tie things up in the bottom of the third, and Rivera came through with a single to left-center that scored him and gave Florida the lead. Caglianone was intentionally walked in between the two at-bats.

Ficarrotta was strong in relief for the Gators. He lasted 3 2/3 innings, striking out seven without giving up a base on balls. Ficarrotta surrendered just one run on the evening and limited damage to get out of a fifth-inning jam that started with three-straight singles.

Florida also had a big fifth inning and scored three runs. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], who got his first start of the season at second base, started things off with a double, and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] moved him over to third on a bunt single.

Langford struck out looking at three pitches, but Caglianone drove in Thomas with a single to right field. Rivera followed that up with his second RBI single of the day, and [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] singled in a run as well. A double play from [autotag]Tyler Shlenut[/autotag] ended the run.

Left-handed freshman [autotag]Chris Arroyo[/autotag] got the final out of the seventh for Florida after Ficarrotta allowed a pair of baserunners. Arroyo returned for the top of the eighth but was immediately pulled after giving up a base hit to start the inning. Kevin O’Sullivan gave him a pat on the back after taking the ball from him, which probably means that he was pulled to fit the matchup against a pinch hitter rather than for poor performance.

[autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] was the third arm out of the bullpen for Florida and got out of the eighth without issue. He did walk USF’s No. 9 hitter with two out but nothing came of it.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] could have earned his second save of the season, but Florida added what it thought was a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] scored after doubling and getting knocked in by Thomas. Robertson extended the lead to five runs with an RBI single of his own, and Langford doubled on a checked swing to put men on the corners. Caglianone drew his second intentional walk of the night, but Rivera couldn’t come up big again despite entering the at-bat hitting .660 with runners in scoring position.

Purnell came back out to pitch the ninth but things went south pretty quickly. He gave up a leadoff home run to start the inning and never recorded an out after an error in right field and walking a batter. O’Sullivan turned to [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] next, which turned out to be a mistake.

Jameson struck out the Bull with the highest average on the team for out No. 1, but it was all downhill from there. USF catcher Nelson Rivera singled in a run to cut the lead to three, and then center fielder Jackson Mayo sent the ball out of the yard to tie things up.

Disaster.

[autotag]Anthony Ursitti[/autotag] replaced Jameson but gave up a two-out triple to blow the lead. To rub some salt in the wound, USF scored what wound up being the deciding run on a passed ball.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] pinch hit for [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag], who entered as a defensive replacement at third base for Tyler Shelnut, and drew a one-out walk to start a ninth-inning rally. USF ignored him on the base paths, so he easily got to third while [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] pinch hit for Heyman.

Riopelle struck out, but [autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] batted for Lastres and singled in Kurland to put the Gators within one of a tie game. Unfortunately, [autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag] grounded into a fielder’s choice on the very first pitch he saw to end the game.

Key Takeaway

The bullpen completely melted down after Purnell struggled to start the ninth. Jameson and Ursitti can’t afford to pitch like that when Sully puts them in a tense spot, and he’s unlikely to forget what happened.

The question is whether O’Sullivan will adjust or not. There were several times throughout the 2022 season when Florida made the wrong call out of the bullpen, and there were shades of that tonight. To be delicate, the only way Florida’s bullpen is below average in 2023 is through mismanagement.

The undefeated season may no longer be feasible, but at least Florida has now faced some adversity and can prove itself over the weekend against Cincinnati.

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Florida baseball handles USF with 3-homer ninth

Florida has two talented Cades on the baseball team, and both of them shined in Tuesday’s road victory over the USF Bulls.

Florida took care of business on the road for the first time in 2023 as the Gators defeated the USF Bulls Tuesday night, 6-1.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] made his first collegiate start and went four innings strong against USF. Fisher struck out the side in each of the first two innings of the night, bringing his season total to seven through five innings (12.6 K/9). He gave up four hits, one unearned run and threw 41 strikes out of 64 pitches overall. The only blemish of the night was a hit batter in the first inning.

It’s clear that Fisher is at the top of the list when it comes to freshmen pitchers on the team Kevin O’Sullivan is willing to let pitch. If he keeps pitching like this, he could find himself with a significant role on the staff after non-conference play ends.

While Fisher was good, the offense didn’t do enough early to give him a decision. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag]’s solo home run came in the top of the fourth, but that only ensure that Fisher wouldn’t get the loss. Florida has a few chances to score in the first few innings of the game.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] got caught trying to stretch a single into a double in the first, and Caglianone just missed a home run in the next at-bat. Caglianone’s double surely would have scored Langford had he not made the base-running gaffe. [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] struck out to end the inning with a runner in scoring position.

Bulls starter Jack Cebert shut Florida down in the second and third, retiring seven straight Gators in a row. Caglianone broke the shutout in the fourth, but [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] left the bases loaded to start his season off 0 for 10. The Bulls were forced to go to the bullpen though, which matched up with Fisher’s departure from the game.

Ryan Slater pitched the next three innings for the Gators and looked just as good as Fisher. He struck out four and allowed just one hit while holding the Bulls scoreless. He did it with incredible efficiency too, needing just 37 pitches to get through three frames.

Sophomore left-hander Ethan Brown was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for USF. He got through the fifth with little incident. Caglianone got hit No. 3 of the night to put him a triple away from the cycle, but he didn’t score. [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] did get to him in the sixth for an RBI single to give Florida the lead, though. The freshman continues to make a strong argument for a daily spot in the lineup.

Speaking of freshman, [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] pinch hit for Halter with a lefty on the mound, meaning the junior third baseman will have to wait another game to collect his first hit of the year. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] subbed in for him to play third base for the rest of the game.

Southern Florida turned to Riley Skeen in the eighth and ninth. Florida couldn’t get to him in the eighth, but Kurland and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] hit back-to-back home runs to kick off what ended up being a brutal ninth. That’s Shelnut’s second in a Gators uniform and the first of Kurland’s first-career big fly.

The Bulls turned to redshirt junior Tanner Mink after Skeen got Thomas to strike out. Mink had some trouble with his pick-off move and balked before throwing the ball into centerfield on the very next attempt. Florida’s fastest player, [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag], rounded the bases with ease and scored on the error.

Finally, Langford hit his first home run of the 2023 season and officially began the chase to 27. Florida began the ninth with just a one-run lead, but South Florida needed five to tie things up by the middle of the inning.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who came in to pitch the eighth and struck out the side, returned for the ninth after a lengthy rest on the bench. He walked a Bull to start the final frame of the night, but Neely ended up cruising to the final out of the ball game. He’s supposed to be the team’s closer, but he didn’t really need to be the one to put the lid on this one after the big inning.

The score makes this win look better than it was, but at least the bats came alive at the end. Fisher didn’t get the win, but he looked good on the bump and it’s always good to have a promising, young freshman left-hander on the staff. Kurland was the offensive MVP of the night for driving in the go-ahead run in the sixth and adding an insurance run with a solo shot in the ninth.

Up next is a rematch with USF in Gainesville on Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST.

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Series Preview: Florida set for home-and-home series with USF

Florida’s first midweek series is a home-and-home matchup with the USF Bulls. Will the Gators start 2023 off 5-0?

The Florida Gators will play a two-game series against the University of South Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday, but both games will not be at the same venue.

Tuesday’s matchup is in Tampa at USF, and Wednesday’s is in Gainesville. It’s a fun way to make a series between two schools separated by no more than two hours on I-75 unique.

The Gators are coming off a dominant performance against Charleston Southern, but the Bulls should provide a bit more of a challenge. Still, USF was picked by D1Baseball.com to finish seventh in the American Athletic Conference, so it’s not like facing an East Carolina or UCF.

The Wednesday arms are still to be decided, but Florida will throw freshman left-hander [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] on Tuesday. [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who was expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, is taking over the closer role, so young players like Fisher will have a chance early.

Offensively, the Gators are simply looking to keep hitting after outscoring the Buccaneers 37-5 and invoking the mercy rule twice over the weekend. Right fielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] led the team with a .500 batting average and 10 RBIs in the Charleston Southern series, and several other Gators collected multiple hits as well.

Third baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] is still looking for his first hit. He should be in the lineup Tuesday with USF throwing a right-hander, so he’ll get a few chances to break the seal and get the season going. Wyatt Langford is always a name to look out for, but he might be a bit angry after going 0-for-4 on Sunday.

USF shouldn’t be taken too lightly. The Bulls beat No. 13 Maryland to start the season but lost the next two games of the series. There are a few dangerous bats on the team, so Florida needs to take its opponent seriously to enter the second weekend of the season undefeated.

AAC running back and All-American return man transfers to Auburn

The Tigers have found their man to pair with Jarquez Hunter.

Auburn has found its running back to complement Jarquez Hunter.

Former USF running back [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] announced on Twitter Monday that he is transferring to Auburn to play for coach Hugh Freeze and staff. Battie is the second AAC player that the Tigers picked up on Monday, with Battie’s announcement coming shortly after Auburn acquired Cincinnati wideout Nick Mardner.

Battie’s resume speaks for itself. He had a stellar year in 2022, rushing for 1,186 yards for an average of 6.7 yards per carry and eight touchdowns on the year. He was also vaunted as a returner, being named as a consensus All-American for his efforts in 2021 where he ran back three kicks for touchdowns — Battie returned 33 kicks for 659 yards in 2022.

Battie will team up with current Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter, who ran for 675 yards and 6.5 yards per carry for seven touchdowns in 2022. The two together create what should be a talented running back corps for Hugh Freeze’s first year as head coach in 2023.

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Social media reactions before Florida’s Week 3 matchup with USF

It’s almost time for Florida to take on USF and social media is buzzing about what’s expected to be a lop-sided game in favor of the Gators.

It’s once again game day in the Swamp, and the Florida Gators are expected to put a hurting on the USF Bulls after falling to Kentucky a week ago.

The loss left a bad taste in the mouth of everyone involved on the Gators’ side and that’s what has fans and experts thinking that the score might be very, very lopsided tonight. The Bulls gave up 50 to BYU in the season opener and 20 to Howard in Week 2, so it’s reasonable to expect Florida’s offense to rebound nicely this week.

[autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] struggled in particular against UK, so this should be good for his confidence. Last year, he threw a pair of touchdowns on just three pass attempts against USF as the backup, and he also added another score on the ground while rushing for over 100 yards. If he can come close to replicating that sort of efficiency as the starter this time around, we may get to see the debut of [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] or [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] at quarterback in the fourth quarter.

It’s almost game time, so let’s go over some of the last-minute buzz on Florida’s Week 3 matchup with USF.

Tracking which recruits visit the Swamp for Florida’s Week 3 matchup with USF

The guest list is a bit shorter for Florida’s Week 3 matchup against USF, but recruiting never stops in the Swamp.

The Florida Gators have hosted dozens of recruits over the first two weeks of the season, but UF’s Week 3 matchup with the USF Bulls features a smaller group of visitors.

Four-star UCF commit [autotag]John Walker[/autotag], who is visiting the Swamp for the third-straight weekend, headlines the group of expected visitors. Fellow four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Jordan Hall[/autotag] could join him, but only time will tell if he shows up.

The rest of the group is made up of underclassmen. With 20 recruits verbally committed to Billy Napier’s class of 2023, Florida can start focusing on the next crop of talent more closely. With well over a year until that signing period rolls around, the Gators are targeting some elite talent.

Four commits are expected in town: interior offensive lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Jaden Robinson[/autotag] and defensive lineman Kamran James.

Gators Wire will continue to update this list as visitors confirm the arrivals throughout the day.

Update: Walker and Jackson are no longer expected to visit due to a lack of transportation.

Big changes made to Florida’s depth chart ahead of Week 3 meeting with USF

The Gators will be down two key starters in Week 3 against the USF Bulls, according to the newest depth chart. Here’s who is replacing them.

Florida’s Week 3 depth chart confirmed what many fans had feared since the conclusion of the Kentucky game last weekend: starting linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and starting right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] are out with lower body injuries and no public timetable for a return.

Billy Napier left things at “they won’t play this week” when asked about the severity of the injuries, but he did name their replacements on the weekly depth chart that is provided each Wednesday night before a game.

Redshirt freshman [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] is taking over for Tarquin on the right side of the line with [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] serving as his backup. Waites was previously starting left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraigae[/autotag]’s backup, but Josh Braun has moved into that role for now.

Braun is best served as a backup guard, but Napier decided that he’s the best option to come in at left tackle with Barber now in a starting role. The new addition to the offensive line rotation is freshman [autotag]Jalen Farmer[/autotag] at right guard. 

For Miller, Jeremiah [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] is his listed backup, and the expectation is to see true freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] get some more snaps as well.

As far as the other injured players go, the same five from last week are still listed with just one exception. Cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] has been upgraded from “Out” to “Questionable,” which is an encouraging sign for a player that missed all of last year following ACL surgery. Hill could be back in the next few weeks, which would give the Gators another weapon in the secondary to work with.

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