Bulls add seven transfers and three high school recruits to the highest rated class outside the autonomous five conferences
TAMPA, FLA., FEB. 7, 2024 – Head coach Alex Golesh and the South Florida Football staff announced the addition of 10 more new Bulls to USF’s 2024 Signing Class as the NCAA Late Signing Period began Wednesday, bringing the highest-ranked class in the American Athletic Conference by Rivals, and highest-ranked among all programs outside of the autonomous five conferences, to 35 members .
On Wednesday, USF announced the addition of seven transfers, six of which are already on campus and will compete in spring practices, and three high school student-athletes.
“We were able to go finish,” Golesh said. “We’re really excited about the additions today. I’m really proud of this class and really proud of in Year 1, in an actual complete full cycle what we were able to do. We wanted to recruit high school guys, we want to develop guys and fill holes that we feel like we need from the transfer portal, and I feel like we did both. You look at the programs we took guys from, there are some really, really winning programs with elite high school coaches. We got guys that know how to win and know how to work. ”
“The Camren Campbell piece, I was at the basketball game last night still working on that one. To get a young man from right here in Tampa that a lot of people in this country wanted at a position of need, I am super grateful to our staff and super grateful for what DeMarcus Van Dyke came in and did really, really quickly and certainly Coach Orlando and that defensive staff worked very hard.”
Rivals ranked the Bulls’ 2024 signing class No. 48 in the nation, well out-pacing Tulsa (No. 63) as the next closest conference program and next closest non-autonomy five program. It marked the Bulls highest ranked recruiting class in 10 years and first in the top 50 since the 2014 class checked in at No. 39. USF’s 2024 class stands higher in the Rivals rankings than 24 autonomous conference programs. Among the Bulls’ 35 signees are two four-star recruits.
USF added seven defensive backs in the late period as transfers D’Marco Augustin (6-1, 220/Youngstown State), Brent Austin (5-11, 174/James Madison), Kajuan Banks (5-10, 173/South Carolina) and De’Shawn Rucker (6-0, 190/Tennessee) joined high school additions Camren Campbell (6-1, 175/Tampa, Fla.), James Chenault (6-0, 180/Orlando, Fla.) and Deylen Platt (6-3, 175/Venice, Fla.). USF also added Virginia transfer linebacker Langston Long (6-3, 220). Their addition gives the Bulls 22 players on the defensive side of the ball in the 2024 class, including 10 defensive backs.
On offense, USF added Purdue wide receiver transfer Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen (6-2, 200), who made 34 catches for the Boilermakers, and Vanderbilt offense lineman transfer Junior Uzebu (6-6, 330), who saw action in three seasons for the Commodores. They bring the Bulls total of offensive players in the 2024 class to 12, including four wide receivers and four offensive linemen.
In the Class of 2024, the Bulls have added 22 players from the state of Florida, seven from Georgia, and one each from California, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
Four players joined the Bulls in Boca Raton for bowl practices and 19 scholarship players (10 defense, eight offense and one specialist) and 25 total new Bulls are currently on campus and will compete in spring practices, which begin on March 5. The USF Spring Game is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Sat., April 13 at Corbett Stadium on the USF campus.
EARLY PERIOD SIGNEES
USF added 10 players on offense including four-star tight end Jonathan Echols (6-6, 225/Franklin, Ga./IMG Academy), a late flip from Tennessee and the Bulls seventh-highest rated recruit in history according to 247Sports and the highest since tight end Sean Price in 2012.
Up front, USF got stronger with Braden Carter (6-6, 285/Cumming, Ga.), Tyreek Major (6-6, 305/Tampa, Fla.) and Teriyan Morman (6-5, 330/Ocala, Fla.).
The Bulls added three wide receivers in Bay Area native Arkese Parks (6-2, 180/Tampa, Fla.), Joshua Porter (6-0, 171/Sebring, Fla.) and Brandon Winton (6-2, 175/Alcoa, Tenn.) and quarterback Marcelis Tate (6-2, 180/Neptune Beach, Fla.).
Joining the Bulls at running back were Nykahi Davenport (6-0, 190/Roswell, Ga.) and Alvon Isaac (5-9, 166/Hawthorne, Fla.).
On the defensive side of the ball, USF added 14 high school players, including defensive back Fred Gaskin (5-10, 180/Ocala, Fla./Vanguard HS) who was rated a four-star recruit when he committed to the Bulls over an offer from Alabama among numerous others, and NJCAA All-American defensive end Jaylen Pettus (6-3, 245/Iowa Western CC).
USF added four linebackers, four defensive ends, three defensive backs and one defensive tackle.
The linebacker additions include Devon Byrd (6-3, 190/West Palm Beach, Fla.), Zavier Hamilton (6-2, 218/Navarre, Fla.), Rodney Hill (5-10, 210 / Daytona Beach, Fla.) and Ashton Mosley (6-3, 235/Blountstown, Fla.).
Up front, the Bulls added twin brothers Chenellson Exume (6-4, 250/Miami, Fla.) and Dinellson Exume (6-4, 234/Miami, Fla.) as well as defensive ends Ryan Jenkins (6-4, 230/Albany, Ga.), Jaylen Pettus (6-3, 245/Council Bluffs, Iowa), Ira Singleton (6-5, 220/Lilburn, Ga.) and Levi Smiley (6-4, 220/Cincinnati, Ohio) and defensive tackle Jahari Grant (6-2, 280/Port St. Lucie, Fla.).
The secondary additions included Jermaine Dalias (6-2, 190/Coconut Creek, Fla.), Fred Gaskin (5-10, 180/Ocala, Fla.), and Hasaan Sykes (6-0, 170/Tucker, Ga.).
USF also added a standout Bull legacy on special teams as Tampa product Nico Gramatica (Cambridge Christian HS), the son of All-Pro Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica, followed in the footsteps of his uncles Bill Gramatica (1998-2000) and Santiago Gramatica (2001-04) who were both standout kickers at USF and in the NFL.
Season tickets renewals for the 2024 season may be reserved at USFBullstix.com or by calling/texting 1-800-GoBulls.
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