Bulls’ offensive linemen signed by the Packers and Dolphins, respectively.
TAMPA, APRIL 28, 2024 – University of South Florida offensive linemen Donovan Jennings (Tampa) and Bayron Matos (Dominican Republic) were signed as NFL free agents shortly after the completion of the final round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday. Meanwhile, cornerback Braxton Clark (Orlando) received a Rookie Minicamp invitation.
Jennings was signed by the Green Bay Packers and Matos by the Miami Dolphins, both players inking contracts closely after the conclusion of the Draft. Clark will attend the New York Jets Rookie Minicamp.
A stalwart on Bulls’ offensive lines in five seasons, Jennings set a USF record appearing in 55 career games and made 45 career starts, tied for seventh-most. He earned second-team all-conference selection in 2021 when he started all 12 games at left tackle and helped the Bulls to a program record 421 rushing yards vs. Temple. He helped block for Jordan Cronkrite’s 1,000-yard rushing season in 2018 and team total of 2,517 yards on the ground. Injury shortened his 2022 season to four games, but he returned in 2023 to help lead the biggest turn-around in program history as USF went from 1-11 to 7-6 and returned to a bowl game for the first time in five years. Protecting quarterback Byrum Brown’s left side, he helped the first-year starter set USF season records for passing yards (3,292), passing touchdowns (26) and completion percentage (64.6%) while running for a team-best 809 yards and leading the Bulls offense to 5,871 yards, the third-best total in program history.
Matos began his career at USF as a basketball player as the 6-9 athlete transferred from New Mexico in 2021. He walked on to the Bulls football team during the spring of 2022 and appeared in USF’s first two games of the 2022 season, playing limited special teams snaps vs. BYU and some special teams and defensive line snaps vs. Howard. He later moved to the offensive line. As a basketball player, he appeared in 28 games and made four starts for the Bulls in 2021-22, averaging 1.5 ppg and 2.7 rpg playing 10.6 minutes per contest. He totaled 41 points and 75 rebounds on the year, including a season-best nine rebounds and five points in a win over UCF. Matos joined the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in January of 2024.
Clark, a transfer from Nebraska who played the 2023 season at USF, saw action in 10 games with nine starts. He finished the season with 26 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one interception, and five pass break-ups. He posted a career-best of five tackles vs. Rice and an interception at UAB.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
USF posted its second straight 10-win season in 2017 (10-2) by winning its second straight Birmingham Bowl with a 38-34 victory over Texas Tech. USF is one of just 14 teams nationally to win 20-plus games in the last two seasons (21-4) and has spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the top 25, reaching as high as No. 13 in Week 8 of the 2017 season. The Bulls have won five of their last six bowl appearances and made nine (6-3) total bowl appearances in 21 seasons, including a current run of three straight bowls. USF won a program-record 11 games in 2016 (11-2) and has posted 14 winning seasons. The USF program, which first took the field in 1997, reached No. 2 in the rankings in 2007 and has seen 28 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and had 32 first-team all-conference selections.
Follow @USFFootball on twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
– #GoBulls –
