USF head coach Alex Golesh emphasized targeted recruiting efforts as USF added two more signees Wednesday at the start of the NCAA’s late signing period.

“We were going to build a program rather than a team,” Golesh said at Wednesday’s press conference. “Each year, we’ve taken fewer transfers, but they’ve been more targeted.”

The Bulls’ latest additions include defensive back Dorian Mallary from The Immaculata-La Salle High School and defensive lineman Richard Scott III from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, bringing the 2025 class to 27 players.

They join a class ranked second among Group of Five programs by Rivals, 247Sports, and On3.

Related: Takeaways from the first day of USF football’s early signing period

USF’s recruiting approach continues to balance high school commitments with key transfers.

The Bulls added 13 players through the transfer portal, addressing needs at multiple positions, including offensive linemen.

Transfers include Connor McLaughlin from Stanford and Thomas Shrader from Appalachian State. McLaughlin played at Jesuit High School, while Shrader is a Venice High School product, both located in-state.

Golesh emphasized the importance of regional connections in recruiting. USF targeted players with local ties who initially left the area.

“At the end of the day, seven guys from the Bay Area, four guys that won state titles last year – all things that are critically, critically important,” he said. “If they do leave, when the chance to come home happens, we want to be there to do it.”

The defensive unit added transfers at key positions where Golesh saw gaps last season, including defensive line and defensive backs.

Some key players include Dre Butler from Charlotte on the line and Boogsie Silvera from McNeese State as a part of the revamped secondary.

Golesh said the team is not relying solely on the transfer portal but is focusing on long-term development through high school recruiting.

“We don’t necessarily want to live in the portal,” he said. “If we can get a really good high school football player for four years, I’d rather do that than get a kid for a year.”

Related: An overview of USF’s 2025 transfer portal so far

Key position groups were a focus this offseason for the Bulls as Golesh said they were looking particularly at specialists, running backs and wide receivers. 

The Bulls lost three key running backs and added Cartevious Norton, along with two young recruits.

“We feel like that’s going to be a ton of production to replace, and that’s been a huge point of emphasis,” Golesh said. “Wideout, we feel like we struck gold there in every imaginable way.”

A significant offseason hire for USF was wide receivers coach Kodi Burns, who joins the staff as co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

The hiring came after former Bulls wide receiver coach L’Damian Washington left to coach the same position at the University of Kentucky.

Burns spent the last two years in the NFL coaching wide receivers for the New Orleans Saints. He previously worked alongside Golesh at Tennessee.

Burns’ experience at the professional level is expected to bring a new dynamic to USF’s passing game, an area Golesh said needed improvement. 

“Last year, we didn’t do as much as we wanted to at wide receiver, and Kodi is going to help us bring those guys to life,” Golesh said. “He’s an amazing teacher, and his experience in the NFL and in college will be huge for us.”

Golesh stressed the importance of mental and physical preparation as the team moves into offseason training. 

“We’ve got to create incredibly hard situations for these guys to go through, for a mental and physical side, to prepare us for what’s coming,” he said. “This is going to be seven months of the hardest that this program has gone through.”