TAMPA, Fla. — USF kicked off its second week of spring football practice with the return of two players who burst onto the scene last year as part of the Bulls' turnaround season.
Linebacker Jhayln Shuler had eight tackles in 2022. Last year, as a junior, he earned more playing time and led the team with 97—which he quickly points out was three short of his goal. This season, he wants his improvement to help the program take another step forward.
"Even with the success that we had last year, we know that it could’ve been more," Shuler said after practice. "We’re looking forward to going to a conference championship, possibly getting a potential spot in the playoffs. Just progressively getting better than what we were last year."
Fellow senior linebacker Tramel Logan showed a flair for the dramatic last season on offense. In 2023, he tied a team record with three defensive touchdowns. Two came on fumble returns, and he added an interception return for good measure.
"I always told the guys, 'I’m gonna get me one.' Then the one happened," Logan joked. "Then all of a sudden I just kept stacking. I kept itching for that feeling again. It came out to be three. Just thank the Man Above for it."
Tramel jokes that he's leaning on the coaching staff to let him get a few touches on offense, but it doesn't look like that'll be happening anytime soon.
"They haven’t really talked about it," Logan said with a grin. "I’ll be throwing it to the coaches, here and there. 'I can do it, you feel me?'—if they need me. But they ain’t really been too much about it."
Last spring, Alex Golesh and his coaching staff said they had to reteach every player on the team how to operate at a high level as Division One football players.
Admittedly, the Bulls aren't where they want to be, but they said they are miles ahead of where they were at this time last year.
"That’s where we’re starting to see the improvement more than anything else," defensive coordinator Todd Orlando explained. "We’re not spending a million hours policing all the little things that you need culturally to win games. We’re actually being able to coach these guys at a higher level."
The USF spring football game returns to campus on Saturday, August 13. Kickoff from Corbett Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
