With Bryce Archie pursuing a baseball career, Brown is the only QB to have attempted a pass at USF
TAMPA, Fla. – With Bryce Archie beginning his professional career in the Cincinnati Reds organization, the quarterback room at USF has only one resident who has thrown a pass in a Bulls’ uniform. Fortunately, the player in question, Byrum Brown, is returning from a leg injury that cost him the final eight games of 2024, save for a couple of snaps in the Hawaii Bowl.
“I felt really good, being back out there with the guys and playing football again,” said Brown, of the first preseason practice Monday. “I had tremendous summer workouts with (strength coach George Courides). He got us right, and being out there and playing football is real fun.”
Brown, who checks in at 233 pounds, is not only the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback, but the leader of a pack that includes a true freshman, an SEC transfer and a young man from, off all places, the UK.
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“Just continuing to be the leader of that quarterback room,” he said. “I am the only one that has played football here, so (I am helping them with everything I have learned) and just continue to be the same guy every single day.”
Here are the other occupants of the QB room.
Locklan Hewlett, Freshman
Coach Alex Golesh remarked during the spring how impressed he was with the maturity of the early enrollee out of St. Augustine High. That feeling carried over into a summer in which it was hoped he would have added some weight beyond his current 190 pounds.
“He has competed at a high level since the moment he got here,” said Golesh. “I give him a ton of credit. He has had really good summer. It has been a challenge for him to get past 190 (pounds), been a challenge to physically change what he looks like. Mentally, he is there.”
Golesh is attempting to put as much pressure as possible on the 18-year-old, who repped with the second team Monday, in an effort to bolster his confidence.
“He had ups and downs today,” said the third-year coach, adding Hewlett is the only freshman on the team’s 12-man leadership council. “I think it will be a ton of learning for him through the beginning part of camp. He will learn, he will grow and he will continue to push through.”
READ: Countdown To Kickoff: USF Bulls Football Hits The Practice Field Monday
Gaston Moore, Senior
Moore began his career at UCF in 2020 when Golesh was an assistant under Josh Heupel. Both followed Heupel to Tennessee where Golesh served as the offensive coordinator for two seasons before taking over at USF. Moore spent the last four seasons with the Vols, throwing for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in 14 games.
“He was looking for an opportunity to come in and compete,” said Golesh, noting the relationship and the QB’s knowledge of the offense made bringing Moore on board a pretty easy decision. “He had been in a situation for the last two and a half years where he has bounced between being the (primary) backup and not being the (primary) backup. He was the only guy that I could think of in the entire country that would actually have a chance to come in and compete.”
There are a few other familiar faces at USF. Moore was a teammate of corner De’Shawn Rucker and receiver Chas Nimord at Tennessee and offensive lineman Mike Lofton at UCF. He was also in Knoxville when first-year Bulls co-OC and associate head coach, Kodi Burns, was on staff in 2021.
READ: USF Coach Bryan Hodgson Shares Inspiring Journey On “The Rock Stops Here”
Marcellus Tate, Redshirt Freshman
The Neptune Beach native, who committed to the Bulls in June 2022, did not see action last season, though as the benefit of a full year under Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon. It was truly a year of learning for Tate, whose mechanics, and even grip on the football, were changed last fall.
“Marcellus has taken steps all summer,” said Golesh. “We really did a lot to change everything, to strip him down and build him back up. For him, it’s settling into the offense and getting comfortable.”
Sam Fenton, Freshman
Fenton is an answer to a trivia question in that he is the first UK high school quarterback to join a Division-I program. He arrived at USF through NFL Academy Europe-Africa. The 6-foot-6 Fenton began playing at the club level in 2019 before joining the NFL Academy’s U19 program in 2020, through which he competed for the London Warriors.
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