The USF Bulls are entering year three of the Alex Golesh era at USF, and just before fall camp begins, the Bulls will need to find a new backup quarterback.
Bryce Archie, who garnered significant playing time last season due to the Byrum Brown injury, will sign a pro contract with the Cincinnati Reds and will not return to the Bulls. Archie, who was selected in the 14th round by the Reds, was a two-sport athlete at USF and played both baseball and football.
Now the Bulls will have to find a backup to Brown, and it will come from a trio of quarterbacks: Locklan Hewitt, Marcellis Tate, and Sam Fenton. None of them has thrown a pass in a college football game. Hewlett turned some heads in the spring game, completing 13/14 passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns. Tate is a dual-threat quarterback who was part of the 2024 recruiting class. Fenton is from the United Kingdom and trained at the NFL academy in London. He is the first player from the academy to play at an NCAA school.
The good news is that Byrum Brown is healthy and excited to return to the field this season. “I’m feeling outstanding. Glad to be putting in the work with the guys and getting ready to achieve this common goal that we have, which is a conference championship.”
The offensive line will be one of the best in the AAC and the best under Golesh in his three years at USF. The Bulls allowed 43 sacks in 2023, compared to just 20 sacks a year ago. In 2025, they expect to improve on that number from last season. The Bulls also return every starter along the offensive line and added two depth transfers, Conner McLaughlin from Stanford, and Thomas Shrader from Appalachian State.
The Bulls are coming off consecutive 7-6 seasons and a thrilling overtime win in the Hawaii Bowl. USF has added 53 players to the roster since the end of last season, and many defensive transfers over the summer.
Golesh is approaching the 2025 season with a ton of confidence and enthusiasm. “We’re still getting better. Sometimes the amount of progress doesn’t show up immediately in the win-loss record. But we’ve built something at USF, and I’m proud of what we’ve built. I think we’re ready to take the next step.”
The Bulls will find out quickly if they are ready to take the next step as they open with three teams that could earn a College Football Playoff berth. The Bulls open at home against Boise State, followed by matchups at Miami and Florida before returning home to play South Carolina State.
USF begins fall camp on Monday, one month before the season opener against Boise State.