Takeaways from the first day of USF football’s early signing period
A quarterback with strong family ties, an Australian punter plus talent from all over the country.
Those are some of the highlights from the 25 recruits that announced their intention to play for USF during the first day of early signing period on Wednesday.
From those 25 players, 23 are high school recruits and one is from junior college. The remaining recruit is from Australia.
USF’s 2025 recruiting class is currently the second-highest ranked in the American Athletic Conference, only trailing Memphis.
At the time of publishing, ESPN has the Bulls’ 2025 recruiting class ranked at No. 64 in the country, slightly lower than their class ranked No. 50 last season. The ranking could change as more recruits are announced. USF’s 2024 class was the highest ranked in the AAC.
Bulls coach Alex Golesh said in a Wednesday press conference USF should end up signing 26 to 27 recruits. The early signing period is open until Friday.
The Bulls capitalized on their home state’s rich talent pool while expanding their recruiting reach nationally and even internationally. Ten of USF’s signees are from Florida.
Golesh spoke highly about the recruits and the standard he expects them to uphold.
“I think what we’ve done through the last year is kind of narrowed in on the guys that we feel like can come in and make an impact,” Golesh said. “Guys that fit totally what we’re trying to build here.”
Related: A look at USF’s quarterback play this season
Lock-ed in
USF’s only quarterback prospect, Locklan Hewlett, flipped his commitment from Wake Forest this spring and hasn’t looked back.
Hewlett, a three-star recruit, passed for more than 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns throughout his career at St. Augustine High School.
Hewlett chose USF over other in-state programs, such as UCF and Miami.
Hewlett said the coaching staff played a large role in his decision to commit to USF in an interview with the Florida Times-Union.
“The coaching staff at USF was the main thing that stuck out to me,” Hewlett said. “That staff does nothing but develop quarterbacks.”
USF offensive coordinator Joel Gordon was the passing game coordinator at Iowa State from 2019-2022. He coached Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy, now a starter for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
During Hewlett’s time at St. Augustine, he led the Yellow Jackets to consecutive Class 3S State Championship appearances.
Golesh gave high praises to the prospect.
“Locklan exudes everything you want,” Golesh said.
Hewlett’s dad, Will, is one of the nation’s top private quarterback coaches, and has worked with NFL starters like Purdy and Caleb Williams, the No. 1 draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Will is also the quarterback’s coach at St. Augustine High School.
Golesh highlighted Locklan’s strong athletic upbringing, noting his fathers connections.
“[Hewlett’s] being coached by some really good coaches,” Golesh said. “All they’ve done there is win.”
Bulls cast recruiting net
Florida remains a breeding ground for high school football talent, and USF prioritized in-state talent, signing 10 players from Florida.
Safety Jermichael Gillis and corner Herlin Perry both come from powerhouse programs.
Gillis, from Lakeland, and Perry, from Miami Central, play for teams ranked at No.1 and No. 14 in Florida, respectively.
“We want to do everything we can to recruit guys from elite high school programs,” Golesh said.
The Bulls also extended their recruiting footprint beyond state lines, attracting talent from Georgia, Texas, Maryland and Mississippi.
Notably, three-star running back Tray Kinkle from Mississippi joins freshman Alvon Issac as the running back group shrinks with the departure of graduate Kelley Joiner and others.
Related: Kelley Joiner is rising to the occasion in his final season as a Bull
Additionally, USF made an international splash by recruiting Luke Goater, a punter from ProKick Australia.
The program trains Australian athletes to play collegiate and professional American football, and has produced several NFL punters.
The decision to join South Florida was made easier by the presence of Andrew Stokes, a ProKick Australia alumnus, who has already paved the way for future success.
“To have Andrew here, someone who’s gone through the same program, makes it easy for Luke to see the path to success,” Golesh said.
Charging towards success
As USF continues to build its strong recruiting class, the program’s momentum is attracting top talent from all over.
“I do think winners find winners, and I think winners are attracted winners,” Golesh said.
The Bulls will compete in their second straight bowl game when they play San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl, which will take place on Dec. 24.
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