2025 record: 9-4 (6-2 American)
2025 postseason: lost to Old Dominion in Cure Bowl, 24-10
When Alex Golesh first onboarded as South Florida’s head football coach in 2023, the Bulls owned the longest losing streak in the country to FBS opponents. Not only did Golesh lift the program out of the cellar, he made them a force to be reckoned with in the American. He led consecutive 7-6 seasons accompanied with bowl victories in 2023 and 2024 before taking the Bulls to nine wins in 2025. And if not for a November loss to Navy, USF would have clinched its first-ever American Conference Championship appearance.
But Golesh is off to Auburn. So is star quarterback Byrum Brown. And a good chunk of the 2025 roster became Tigers. Many other key contributors transferred elsewhere. USF aims to sustain this newfound success under a first-time head coach in Brian Hartline, who served as an Ohio State assistant from 2017-25. Hartline finally left his alma mater after nearly a decade and quickly went to work in the portal, landing the top transfer class in the American.
There’s significant roster turnover, but this 2026 USF team still has potential to become the first in program history to qualify for the American title game. That’s one first the Bulls hope to attain this season, but there will also be a significant last. 2026 represents the final season South Florida will call Raymond James Stadium its home venue before moving into an on-campus stadium for 2027.
In the early 2010s, Brian Hartline was a two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver with the Miami Dolphins. By the late 2010s, Hartline was already an established wide receivers coach at Ohio State, and to this day, he’s recruited and developed first round draft picks Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate.
Hartline was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023, holding the position through two College Football Playoff appearances and a 2024 national championship. The 39-year old has never held a position outside of Columbus, but that changed Dec. 3 when he accepted the head coaching position at South Florida.
Hartline’s inaugural staff in Tampa features Tim Beck as offensive coordinator and Josh Aldridge as defensive coordinator. Beck spent the last three years as Coastal Carolina’s head coach but previously held OC gigs at Nebraska (2011-14), Ohio State (as co-OC, 2015-16), Texas (2017-19), and NC State (2020-22). Meanwhile, Aldridge is an intraconference hire from East Carolina. In 2025, he led the Pirates to the No. 1 scoring defense and total defense in the American Conference — key traits driving ECU to its first 9-win season since 2013. In addition to his coordinator duties, Aldridge will also coach the inside linebackers.
USF retained one coordinator from Golesh’s staff. Special teams coordinator Chad Creamer is back for his fourth season in Tampa, and he will continue to double as an outside linebackers coach. The other returning coach is cornerbacks coach James Rowe, who spent the last three seasons as the Bulls’ defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach.
Hartline’s younger brother Mike Hartline is one new member on staff, and he will serve as quarterbacks coach after spending 2025 as Kentucky’s offensive quality control assistant. Other staff members include running backs coach Elijah Brooks (Virginia Tech running backs coach from 2023-25), wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Myles White (Syracuse passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2025), defensive line coach Keith Jones Jr. (Appalachian State defensive line coach in 2025), safeties coach Danny Verpaele (Army safeties coach from 2022-25), and stars/assistant defensive backs coach Antwaine Richardson (Auburn defensive analyst in 2025).
Two additional assistants previously worked with Hartline’s offenses at Ohio State — tight ends coach Sean Binckes (Las Vegas Raiders assistant tight ends coach in 2025) and offensive line coach/run game coordinator Mike Sollenne (UNLV offensive line coach in 2025).
- Key arrivals: QB Michael Van Buren Jr., QB Luke Kromenhoek, RB D.J. Crowther, WR Kenny Odom, WR Bryson Rodgers, WR Arhmad Branch, WR Armani Winfield, WR Cameron Seldon, WR Jaron Glover, C Cash Hudson, G Caleb Cook, OT Michael Wooten, OT Ethan Green
- Key departures: QB Byrum Brown, RB Nykahi Davenport, RB Sam Franklin, RB Cartevious Norton, WR Keshaun Singleton, WR Jeremiah Koger, WR Chas Nimrod, WR Christian Neptune, TE Jonathan Echols, C Cole Best, G Cole Skinner, G Zane Herring, OT Connor McLaughlin, OT Derek Bowman
- Key incumbents: RB Alvon Isaac, WR Mudia Reuben, TE Wyatt Sullivan, G Thomas Shrader
Few offenses were as electrifying as South Florida’s in 2025. Alex Golesh’s up-tempo unit scorched opponents on a weekly basis, finishing fifth nationally in points per game, third in yards, and exhibiting tremendous balance by ranking top 20 in both rushing and passing yards per game. USF eclipsed 50 points five times and hit 63 twice. However, the Bulls ended 2025 in drearier fashion, managing a mere 10 points against Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl down Golesh and starting quarterback Byrum Brown.
And that shows how big of a loss Brown is at quarterback. He’s the only 3,000-yard passer in USF history, and he’s done it twice. The dual-threat QB also produced a 1,000-yard rushing season last year, breaking the century mark on the ground in seven of his final nine games as a Bull.
Brown exited for SEC country, and two quarterbacks from SEC country transferred to USF in return. Michael Van Buren Jr. arrives after one season at LSU and is the projected candidate to start. He started eight games at Mississippi State in 2024 and four at LSU in 2025, sharply improving his accuracy and mobility from his freshman to his sophomore campaign. Van Buren led victories over Arkansas and WKU last November, but his best performance came in the Texas Bowl where he posted 267 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions while leading LSU to 35 points — its highest vs. any FBS opponent last season.
Luke Kromenhoek is another option at quarterback. He started the final two games for Florida State in 2024, compiling 502 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions before transferring to Mississippi State, where he saw limited action in three blowouts.
The quarterback that claims the job in fall camp will have a new batch of wide receivers to work with — under a head coach renowned for recruiting and developing star receivers. Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune were all big-play receivers and are massive transfer portal losses, but the incoming class is promising. Kenny Odom was a No. 1 receiver at UTEP in consecutive years, corralling 108 receptions for 1,323 yards and 14 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Bryson Rodgers is a Tampa native who played under Hartline for three seasons at Ohio State, claiming a national championship and posting 11 catches for 96 yards.
Arhmad Branch (Purdue), Armani Winfield (Colorado State), and Cameron Seldon (Virginia Tech) all finished with between 165 and 276 receiving yards last year as rotation pieces, and they’ll be vital to what should be a pass-happy USF offense in 2026. There’s also the return of wide receiver Mudia Reuben and tight end Wyatt Sullivan, who finished third and sixth on the Bulls, respectively, with 495 and 176 receiving yards.
USF is down its top three rushers (including Brown) from 2025, but the Bulls still trot out a trusty back in Alvon Isaac. Isaac broke free for 350 yards rushing and 141 receiving last year, and he’s a candidate to take on a lead role. Additionally, USF consulted the portal and landed FCS stars D.J. Crowther (Dartmouth) and Jason Collins Jr. (Morgan State) who each arrive with over 1,000 career rushing yards. No running back truly operated as a No. 1 in South Florida’s offense last year, so a three-man rotation is always a possibility.
Besides Reuben, the only returning offensive starter is Thomas Shrader, who started all 13 games at left guard in 2025. There will be significant retooling of the o-line around Shrader as three all-conference linemen must be replaced. Transfers looking to fill vacancies include center Cash Hudson (Missouri State), guards Caleb Cook (Georgia Southern), Michael Wooten (Arizona), and Julius Tate (Coastal Carolina), and tackle Ethan Green (Cincinnati). Of these new additions, Cook and Hudson are the most accomplished to date. Cook earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors as a team captain at Georgia Southern, while Hudson garnered Freshman All-American honors at Missouri State before successfully leading its transition to the FBS.
- Key arrivals: DE C.J. Hicks, DT Terry Simmons Jr., DT Asani Redwood, ILB Grayson Howard, OLB MarShon Oxley, OLB Shamar Meikle, OLB Sam Robinson, CB Amarion Fortenberry, CB Za’Quan Bryan, CB Tayvion Beasley, FS Ayden Jackson, SS Israel Boyce, SS A’Mon Lane-Ganus
- Key departures: DE Rico Watson III, DE D.J. Harris, DE Ira Singleton, DT Josh Celiscar, DT Devin Lee, DT Traevon Mitchell, ILB Mac Harris, OLB Jhalyn Shuler, CB De’Shawn Rucker, CB Jarvis Lee, CB Jonas Duclona, CB James Chenault, SS Fred Gaskin
- Key incumbents: DE Michael Williams II, ILB Rodney Hill, OLB Zavier Hamilton, FS Tavin Ward
In order for South Florida to take the step from 7-6 to American contenders, the Bulls needed defensive improvement. They did that in 2025, and the unit was one which made a name for itself through aggressive play-calling. USF finished top 10 in turnovers created with 25, ranked in the upper quartile in sacks, and finished top 25 in tackles for loss per game. Sure, the Bulls surrendered a lot of yardage for a 9-win team, but their ability to consistently force game-changing sacks, takeaways, and timely red zone stops (ninth in red zone defense with 72.2 percent opponent scoring rate) more than made up for the lapses.
USF returns one defensive starter in 2026, and that’s free safety Tavin Ward. Ward finished third on the team with 60 tackles, in addition to producing 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and a 40-yard pick six vs. UTSA. Other incumbents slated to make a more significant impact include outside linebacker Zavier Hamilton (37 tackles, 3 TFL) and defensive end Michael Williams II (2 starts, 19 tackles, 1.0 sack) who missed the first half of last season due to injury but finished strong in the Cure Bowl.
The majority of the defensive two-deep arrives from the transfer portal. One particularly intriguing transfer is former Ohio State defensive end C.J. Hicks. Hicks was a 5-star prospect in the class of 2022, and he logged 44 games of experience at Ohio State albeit zero starts. During the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship run, he produced 22 tackles and two sacks. Hicks’ new stomping grounds in Tampa will present him with his most expansive opportunity to date.
Another transfer with star potential is former Florida inside linebacker Grayson Howard, who becomes the new leader of the linebacking corps after departures of Jhalyn Shuler (105 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 8 pass breakups) and Mac Harris (103 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles). Injuries prevented Howard from seeing the field much in 2025, but in 2024, he started nine games for an 8-5 Gator team, accruing 37 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.
Other portal additions which should be in the rotation include defensive tackles Terry Simmons Jr. (Duke) and Asani Redwood (West Virginia), edge rushers MarShon Oxley (West Virginia) and Shamar Meikle (Oregon State), outside linebacker Sam Robinson (Rutgers), cornerbacks Amarion Fortenberry (Kansas State), Za’Quan Bryan (Minnesota), and Tayvion Beasley (BYU), and safeties Ayden Jackson (Georgia Southern) and Israel Boyce (West Virginia).
Most of these players saw valuable playing time as reserves at their previous stops, but some are armed with substantial starting experience. Ayden Jackson was a two-year starting safety at Georgia Southern, leading the Eagles with three interceptions and posting 74 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in 2025. Amarion Fortenberry served as South Alabama’s starting cornerback in 2024 and eyes a new opportunity after his playing time diminished at Kansas State. Za’Quan Bryan also started several games at Minnesota, totaling 36 tackles and three pass breakups last fall.
USF’s defense is the ultimate melting pot of transfers. With a new coordinator, it will take on a different form from the 2025 unit which thrived in the turnover battle, but there are still areas where it could improve.
- Key arrivals: K Lawson Thorn, KR Cameron Seldon
- Key departures: P Chase Leon, PR Christian Neptune
- Key incumbents: K Nico Gramatica, P Luke Goater, KR/PR Alvon Isaac, KR JeyQuan Smith, PR Joshua Porter
Nico Gramatica became an icon on Sept. 6, 2025 when he drilled a walk-off field goal to defeat Florida in The Swamp, 18-16. In a roster that experienced heavy turnover, Gramatica remains one of the more recognizable members of the 2026 team, after faring 18-of-24 on field goals as the lead placekicker in 2025. The Second Team All-American Conference selection has been very accurate under 50 yards in his career at 16-of-19, and from 50 and beyond, he’s 5-of-10 with a long of 58 in 2024.
Other kickers on the roster include Division II Wingate transfer Lawson Thorn, who could handle kickoff duties this year, as well as Nico’s true freshman brother Gaston Gramatica — the next entry in the Gramatica family kicking dynasty.
USF changes up punters after the graduation of Chase Leon, but the Bulls didn’t take any transfers. Instead, Luke Goater slides up to the starting role. The Australia native punted nine times for 326 yards (36.2 average) as a true freshman and hopes to improve upon that average as the full-time punter.
Despite losing a horde of skill position players, USF is still well-equipped in the return game. Of the Bulls’ 301 kick return yards in 2025, 299 yards of production return, with Alvon Isaac and JeyQuan Smith accounting for most of them. Also, 18 of the Bulls’ 25 punt returns from last year are back, with Isaac and Joshua Porter as the primary options. USF brought in transfers Kenny Odom and Cameron Seldon with some return game experience, but the Bulls can pick up exactly where they left off with their personnel from last season.
* denotes non-conference game
One factor that should ease this coaching transition — South Florida has the easiest non-conference slate in the American this year. The Bulls host FIU, FCS Delaware State, and Kent State at Raymond James Stadium and make a northern trek to Bowling Green for their only road out-of-conference game. Entering the season, USF is favored in all four games which is tremendous for boosting its win total. However, there are two sides to the coin and the Bulls might lack a non-conference win that carries weight with the CFP committee (like Tulane’s non-conference victory over ACC champion Duke last year).
In conference play, the Bulls face five teams which finished above .500 last season and three which failed to qualify for bowl eligibility. USF is regularly featured on Thursday and Friday nights in conference play, taking the national television stage Thursday, Oct. 8 at UTSA, Friday, Nov. 6 at East Carolina, and Thursday, Nov. 12 vs. Memphis — giving the Bulls three short weeks from Week 6 through Week 11.
South Florida concludes its regular season hosting the gold standard of the conference in Tulane, which will be competing for a fifth-straight American Championship Game appearance. This matchup between the Bulls and Green Wave will be USF’s final home game at Raymond James Stadium after 29 seasons of calling it home… unless the Bulls clinch host duties for the American Championship the following weekend.
Like many American programs, USF experienced significant personnel and roster turnover this offseason, making the 2026 Bulls an unpredictable team. Brian Hartline lured in the top transfer class in the American per 247Sports, and if this class lives up to the expectations, there may not be a dropoff from 2025. It’s a wide-open conference, and South Florida’s mission is to finally check off the box it has waited over a decade to check — qualify for the American Championship Game.
2026 American Conference preseason previews:
Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice
2026 American Preseason Previews: South Florida
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