Bulls return 19 starters, 84 percent of rushing and receiving yards
TAMPA, JULY 23, 2024 – Entering its second season under head coach Alex Golesh, South Florida football was picked fourth in the AAC Preseason Media Poll announced Tuesday at the AAC Kickoff event in Arlington, Texas.
In the 2023 poll, the Bulls were picked 13th before Golesh led the team to the greatest turnaround in program history and the second-best in FBS football with a six-win improvement capped by a 45-0 rout of Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Golesh and returning starting quarterback Byrum Brown(Raleigh, N.C.) and senior cornerback Ben Knox (DeLand) are in Dallas for the Kickoff event. Golesh was set to address the gathered media at the podium at noon on Tuesday. That can be viewed live on ESPN+.
The media picked Memphis (23 first place votes) first followed by UTSA (4), Tulane (2), South Florida and conference newcomer Army (1) rounding out the top five.
Brown, who set USF season marks for passing yards (3,292), touchdowns (26), completions (276), and completion percentage (64.6%) in his first season in Golesh’s offense, leads a Bulls offense that also returns senior wide receiver Sean Atkins(Viera), who set program records with 92 receptions for 1,054 yards in 2023 and was named a 2024 preseason All-American by Phil Steele. Brown also added 809 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to join Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU as the only FBS players to post 3,000-plus passing yards and 800-plus rushing yards in 2023.
Brown, Atkins, offensive guard Zane Herring (Madison), running back Nay’Quan Wright (Opa Locka), center Mike Lofton (Clearwater), offensive tackle Derek Bowman(Magnolia, Texas), wide receiver Naiem Simmons (Cherry Hill, N.J.),), cornerback Aamaris Brown-Bunkley (Tampa), defensive tackle Rashad Cheney (Atlanta), linebacker Jhalyn Shuler (Abbeville, S.C.), safety Jaelen Stokes (Auburndale) and kickers John Cannon (Fort Lauderdale) and Nico Gramatica (Tampa) where among the Bulls to earn preseason all-conference recognition from national publications.
USF returns 19 starters in 2024 (nine on offense, eight on defense, and two specialists) from a team that set 12 team and 16 individual program records while going 7-6. The Bulls return record-setting starting quarterback Brown, 85 percent of their rushing yards, 84 percent of their receiving yards and four primary starters on the offensive line. On defense, USF returns nine of its top 11 tacklers led by Shuler, who logged a team-best 97 stops to go with 8.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
USF opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Raymond James Stadium when the Bulls take on Bethune-Cookman in a 7:00 p.m. kick on ESPN+. The Bulls also have non-conference dates at Alabama (Sept. 7/7 pm/ESPN), at Southern Miss (Sept. 14/7 pm/ESPN+) and vs. Miami (Sept. 21).
2024 American Athletic Conference Preseason Media Poll
TAMPA, JULY 23, 2024 – Entering its second season under head coach Alex Golesh, South Florida football was picked fourth in the AAC Preseason Media Poll announced Tuesday at the AAC Kickoff event in Arlington, Texas.
In the 2023 poll, the Bulls were picked 13th before Golesh led the team to the greatest turnaround in program history and the second-best in FBS football with a six-win improvement capped by a 45-0 rout of Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Golesh and returning starting quarterback Byrum Brown(Raleigh, N.C.) and senior cornerback Ben Knox (DeLand) are in Dallas for the Kickoff event. Golesh was set to address the gathered media at the podium at noon on Tuesday. That can be viewed live on ESPN+.
The media picked Memphis (23 first place votes) first followed by UTSA (4), Tulane (2), South Florida and conference newcomer Army (1) rounding out the top five.
Brown, who set USF season marks for passing yards (3,292), touchdowns (26), completions (276), and completion percentage (64.6%) in his first season in Golesh’s offense, leads a Bulls offense that also returns senior wide receiver Sean Atkins(Viera), who set program records with 92 receptions for 1,054 yards in 2023 and was named a 2024 preseason All-American by Phil Steele. Brown also added 809 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to join Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU as the only FBS players to post 3,000-plus passing yards and 800-plus rushing yards in 2023.
Brown, Atkins, offensive guard Zane Herring (Madison), running back Nay’Quan Wright (Opa Locka), center Mike Lofton (Clearwater), offensive tackle Derek Bowman(Magnolia, Texas), wide receiver Naiem Simmons (Cherry Hill, N.J.),), cornerback Aamaris Brown-Bunkley (Tampa), defensive tackle Rashad Cheney (Atlanta), linebacker Jhalyn Shuler (Abbeville, S.C.), safety Jaelen Stokes (Auburndale) and kickers John Cannon (Fort Lauderdale) and Nico Gramatica (Tampa) where among the Bulls to earn preseason all-conference recognition from national publications.
USF returns 19 starters in 2024 (nine on offense, eight on defense, and two specialists) from a team that set 12 team and 16 individual program records while going 7-6. The Bulls return record-setting starting quarterback Brown, 85 percent of their rushing yards, 84 percent of their receiving yards and four primary starters on the offensive line. On defense, USF returns nine of its top 11 tacklers led by Shuler, who logged a team-best 97 stops to go with 8.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
USF opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Raymond James Stadium when the Bulls take on Bethune-Cookman in a 7:00 p.m. kick on ESPN+. The Bulls also have non-conference dates at Alabama (Sept. 7/7 pm/ESPN), at Southern Miss (Sept. 14/7 pm/ESPN+) and vs. Miami (Sept. 21).
2024 American Athletic Conference Preseason Media Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) | Points | |
1. | Memphis (23) | 409 | |
2. | UTSA (4) | 368 | |
3. | Tulane (2) | 362 | |
4. | South Florida | 339 | |
5. | Army (1) | 236 | |
6. | Florida Atlantic | 228 | |
7. | East Carolina | 219 | |
| Rice | 219 | |
9. | North Texas | 216 | |
10. | UAB | 192 | |
11. | Navy | 150 | |
12. | Tulsa | 95 | |
13. | Charlotte | 77 | |
14. | Temple | 40 |
