TAMPA — There is a different feeling surrounding USF football heading into the 2026 season.
Maybe it’s the arrival of new head coach Brian Hartline. Maybe it’s a roster that has been dramatically rebuilt. Or maybe expectations around this program have changed.
Whatever the reason is, this doesn’t feel like a USF team that should be satisfied with another winning season and a bowl appearance.
The Bulls went 9-4 last season, earned a third consecutive bowl appearance, and reached the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in program history.
Now Hartline takes over a program that appears capable of taking another step.
The question is how quickly all these new pieces can become a team.
Hartline has talked repeatedly about wanting the Bulls to “be different.” That means more than schemes and formations.
“If you’re fully reliant on athletic ability, that’s a depreciating asset,” Hartline said. “We want players who build their mental makeup, intelligence, and work ethic.”
USF certainly has the athletic ability. Now comes the hard part.
Offense starts with Michael Van Buren
Brian Hartline settled the biggest question of training camp when he named Michael Van Buren Jr. the starting quarterback over Luke Kromenhoek. Van Buren brings something this offense needs: experience in big-time college football.
He has played in 17 games with 12 starts during stops at Mississippi State and LSU, passing for 2,896 yards and 19 touchdowns. In his final LSU start, Van Buren threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns against Houston in the Texas Bowl. That’s a pretty good foundation for a new offense.
But offensive coordinator Tim Beck wants to define this unit by something else: physicality.
“We want to be a physical football team,” Beck said. “We want to be high-powered and well-coached. We want to run the football, make plays in space and the air when we throw the football.”
That might be the biggest change USF fans notice.
The Bulls can still play fast, but tempo won’t necessarily define them. Beck wants an offense that can change speeds, run the ball, and control games when necessary.
The backfield gives him options. Alvon Isaac returns as USF’s leading returning rusher, while transfers D.J. Crowther and Jason Collins Jr. each arrived with more than 1,000 career rushing yards.
At receiver, Mudia Reuben should be one of Van Buren’s primary targets after catching 36 passes for 495 yards and five touchdowns last season. But this could be one of the deepest position groups on the roster, with Bryson Rodgers, Arhmad Branch, Jaron Glover, Cameron Seldon, and others joining the competition.
And if there is one position you expect Hartline to develop, it’s wide receiver.
Up front, Caleb Cook and Thomas Shrader bring veteran leadership to the Bulls.
Cook’s description of the offense was considerably simpler than Beck’s. “Points and touchdowns,” Cook said. “That’s the No. 1 thing.”
Defense could become USF’s strength
As intriguing as the offense is, the defense could become this team’s identity.
Defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge has built his philosophy around one word: havoc.
That means tackles for loss, pressure, tipped passes, and, most importantly, turnovers.
“Taking the ball away is the biggest one,” Aldridge said. “You definitely are what you emphasize. Your thoughts have got to be on the ball.”
USF has the personnel to make that philosophy work.
It begins with linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Florida transfer could become the centerpiece of the Bulls defense. Howard started nine games for Florida in 2024 before a high ankle sprain and surgery derailed much of his 2025 season. He’s healthy now, and his teammates apparently recognize what he brings. Howard led the vote when USF selected its captains.
Pair Howard with Rutgers transfer Sam Robinson, and the Bulls have size, speed, and athleticism in the middle.
The defensive front should also be interesting. C.J. Hicks brings considerable upside off the edge, while Major Dillard provides a 330-pound presence inside. Both were selected as captains, an impressive statement considering both arrived at USF this offseason.
The secondary has experience with Ayden Jackson and Tavin Ward, while Florida transfer Teddy Foster adds another talented piece.
“We’ve got great guys up front to pressure the quarterback, then we’ve got really smart, fast players in the secondary,” Foster said. “We’re going to get to the ball and play hard.”
But, of course, there will be growing pains.
Hartline inherited a roster filled with newcomers, and chemistry isn’t created simply by winning the transfer portal. Players have to learn to play together. Coaches have to determine what works when the games actually count.
But let’s not undersell what USF has assembled. There is SEC experience at quarterback. There are legitimate weapons at receiver and running back. The offensive line has size. The defense has athletes at all three levels.
USF isn’t rebuilding from scratch, either, with 53 returning players.
This was a nine-win football team a year ago. That’s why 2026 shouldn’t be viewed simply as Year One of the Hartline era.
The Bulls have enough talent to contend in the American Conference right now.
On Saturday night against FIU at Raymond James Stadium, we finally get to see whether all the promise of the offseason translates to Saturdays.
For USF, the Brian Hartline era is about to begin.
And expectations in Tampa should be considerably higher than simply making another bowl game.