College football

Bulls hike quarterback depth

USF lands two all-state picks at the position and plenty of tall targets for them too.

By GREG AUMAN
Published February 3, 2005

TAMPA - South Florida coach Jim Leavitt had just made his first brief comments on USF's 23-player recruiting class when he was asked if one of the Bulls' two new all-state quarterbacks, Carlton Hill and Matt Grothe, could start this fall.

"Oh, Lord, we're moving pretty fast," Leavitt said. "We just signed them today."

As the Bulls, coming off a 4-7 season, prepare to enter the Big East, this was a class Leavitt greeted with optimism and excitement. The group was well-received nationally, with rivals100.com ranking it 50th overall and fourth among the eight schools that will compete in the Big East this fall.

Leavitt said the team's move to a BCS conference and the school's new $18-million athletic facility helped the Bulls contend for recruits they couldn't have competed for in the past.

"It really helps. We never had the Big East to push, and we never had a building to walk in," Leavitt said. "People see progress, moving, and that's really important. I'm real excited about this group. There's so many playmakers, with size, and guys who could potentially help us, now. We really wanted to get a lot faster and a little more athletic, and I feel we accomplished that goal."

Hill, who starred at Jefferson County High in the tiny North Florida town of Monticello, is perhaps USF's most coveted recruit. He declined an aggressive pursuit by Miami. He was first-team all-state in Class A and Grothe, who led Lakeland Lake Gibson to its state championship game, was the top 4A passer.

"(Hill) kept us on pins and needles, and the hype is on Carlton, but Matt Grothe's a good football player, too," Leavitt said. "I'm excited about both those guys coming in."

The class was loaded with defensive backs (five), wide receivers (four) and tight ends (three), and those seven downfield targets include four players 6 feet 3 and taller, including Palm Beach Central's Shane McElwain, a junior hockey player who had just one season of high school football.

"It's hard to find big guys who can run and catch, and especially if they can do it with skates on, that's not bad," Leavitt said.

Another signee, offensive lineman Chris DeArmas, has a hockey background, and the receivers include Amarri Jackson, a basketball player at Hillsborough Community College who hasn't played football in two years.

With only one running back in the class, Leavitt admitted he "got caught" at the position, where junior Andre Hall's record-setting 2004 season kept the Bulls from luring talents hoping to play right away. And with all the Bulls' linebackers returning from last season, USF signed only two at that position, including Gene Coleman, a junior college standout who originally signed with USF in 2003.

The class kept USF's Florida-based philosophy, with three out-of-state signees. It notably had no players from Pinellas County, except for tackle Theodric Watson, a Lakewood graduate who played at a junior college in Mississippi the past two years. Danny Tolley, a tackle from Wesley Chapel, was another local in the group, as well as Armwood defensive back R.J. Anderson.

The group included two players that hadn't already committed. Plant linebacker Donte Spires and Miami Killian cornerback Antwane Cox were the late additions to the group. One who got away was Miami Norland defensive end Gary Watts, who committed to USF last week but signed with Rutgers.

Watts' high school coach, Nigel Dunn, said Watts' mother told him she was disappointed she had never met any of USF's coaches. "I didn't even know Rutgers was in the picture," Dunn said. "I was upset that he would change his mind like that."

The Bulls might not be done with this class, either. USF is believed to be one of two finalists for Ricky Jean-Francois, a coveted defensive end from Miami Carol City. Jean-Francois was a surprise no-show at school Wednesday but is expected to soon sign with USF or LSU.

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:08:13]