USF Football Summer Preview 2026
The University of South Florida enters the 2026 football season at one of the most pivotal crossroads in program history fresh off a 9-win season, bidding farewell to Raymond James Stadium, and welcoming a head coach who turned Ohio State's receiving room into an NFL pipeline. The Bulls are rebuilding in real time, and the results could define the program for year to come.
Brian Hartline arrives in Tampa with one of the most ambitious roster rebuilds in college football, a 41-player transfer portal class, and one final season at Raymond James Stadium before USF moves into its new on-campus home in 2027.
Coming off a 9-4 season and a third consecutive bowl appearance, the Bulls enter their 30th football season facing both significant opportunity and significant change.
Key Numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| 2025 Record | 9–4 |
| Bowl Appearances | 3 Straight |
| Transfer Portal Additions | 41 |
| Portal Class Ranking | #1 AAC / #1 Group of 6 |
| New Stadium Opens | 2027 |
| Total New Players Added | 58 |
The University of South Florida enters the 2026 season at one of the most important moments in program history. Following Alex Golesh's departure to Auburn, Athletic Director Rob Higgins turned to one of college football's most respected recruiters and position coaches to lead the next chapter of Bulls football.
The result is a dramatically reshaped roster, a new coaching staff, and heightened expectations as USF prepares for its final season at Raymond James Stadium.
01 New Head Coach & Staff
Brian Hartline
Brian Hartline is a former Ohio State wide receiver who spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns before returning to Ohio State as a coach. Widely regarded as one of college football's top recruiters and wide receiver developers, he helped produce numerous NFL draft picks before becoming the new head coach at USF.
The biggest story of the offseason was the arrival of Brian Hartline.
Hartline built a national reputation at Ohio State as one of the sport's premier recruiters and wide receiver developers. During his time with the Buckeyes, he coached and developed future NFL first-round draft picks including Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Emeka Egbuka.
A former NFL receiver with the Miami Dolphins, Hartline accepted his first head coaching position in December 2025, inheriting a program coming off one of its most successful seasons in recent history.
His challenge now extends beyond recruiting and player development. For the first time, Hartline will oversee every aspect of a program, including game management, roster construction, culture building, and long-term program direction.
Coaching Outlook
The staff has undergone significant changes following the coaching transition. Defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge remains a key figure as USF rebuilds a defense that lost several contributors from last year's roster.
Key Coaching Additions
Tim Beck
1st season at USF. Experienced OC expected to run Hartline's explosive, receiver-driven attack.
Josh Aldridge
1st season at USF. Tasked with rebuilding a defense that lost several key contributors to the portal.
Antonio Turner
Newly named head strength and conditioning coach, central to reshaping the team's physical identity.
Elijah Brooks
1st season at USF. Respected recruiter and developer charged with maintaining a productive ground game while elevating overall offensive talent.
It's a complete staff overhaul, and cohesion will take time. But Hartline was part of four Big Ten championships and a national title at Ohio State, he knows what a winning program looks like from the inside.
02 Recruiting & Transfer Portal
The departures were significant, several key contributors left the program following the coaching change, including quarterback Byrum Brown, who transferred to Auburn.
But if there is one area where the Hartline era has already made a statement, it is roster acquisition.
USF added 41 players through the transfer portal, giving the Bulls the highest-ranked transfer portal class in the American Athletic Conference and the top-ranked Group of 6 portal class according to 247Sports.
The additions were part of a larger influx of 58 new players between transfers and signees.
Key Transfer Additions
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QBMichael Van Buren Jr Transfer from LSU - 1,010 passing yards, 9 TDs in 2025
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QBLuke Kromenhoek Transfer from Mississippi State - 575 career passing yards (FSU, MSU)
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WRBryson Rodgers Transfer from Ohio State - Former 4-star, Tampa native returning home
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WRKenny Odom Transfer from UTEP - 2nd-team All-CUSA, 582 yards & 6 TDs in 2025
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WRArmani Winfield Transfer from Colorado State - Established starter in Mountain West
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WRArhmad Branch Transfer from Purdue - Big Ten experience, looking to break out
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LBC.J. Hicks Transfer from Ohio State - Former 5-star recruit from Archbishop Alter HS (Dayton)
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DBTeddy Foster Transfer from Florida Gators - Defensive back, adds SEC experience
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DBGrayson Howard Transfer from Florida Gators - Second former Gator to join the Bulls' secondary
The quarterback competition between Van Buren and Kromenhoek will be one of the most closely watched battles of fall camp.
With more than two dozen transfers arriving from Power Four programs, the Bulls have dramatically upgraded both their talent level and depth.
03 Challenges Ahead
Even with an impressive transfer haul, several questions will determine how successful the 2026 season becomes.
The QB Competition
Replacing Byrum Brown is the most important football decision facing the program. Van Buren and Kromenhoek both arrive with strong recruiting pedigrees and Power Four experience, but neither has yet established himself as the clear starter at USF.
Building Chemistry
Adding 41 transfers creates immediate talent upgrades but also presents challenges. Developing cohesion, leadership, and consistency among a roster with so many new faces will be one of Hartline's most important tasks.
Defensive Development
USF added significant defensive talent through the portal, but the unit must quickly come together under Josh Aldridge if the Bulls hope to contend near the top of the AAC standings.
First-Year Head Coach Learning Curve
Hartline's recruiting ability is widely respected. The unknown is how quickly he adapts to the broader responsibilities of leading an entire football program through a full season.
04 Players to Watch
With a roster built almost entirely through the transfer portal and incoming recruits, the 2026 USF team will be defined as much by its new faces as its returning core.
Van Buren arrives as one of the key pieces in the quarterback competition and brings Power Four experience to the Bulls’ most important position battle.
Kromenhoek adds another high-upside option in the quarterback room, and the battle at the position will shape the identity of the offense.
A Tampa native returning home, Rodgers adds a potential impact receiver to a retooled passing attack.
Van Buren arrives as one of the key pieces in the quarterback competition and brings Power Four experience to the Bulls’ most important position battle.
Odom brings proven production at the Group of 5 level and could provide early stability at receiver.
One of the most high-upside defensive additions, Hicks brings elite recruiting pedigree and Power Four experience.
05 Roster Turnover & Team Identity
USF enters 2026 with one of the most dramatically rebuilt rosters in the country.
The Bulls added 41 transfer portal players and 58 total newcomers, creating a team that is significantly more talented but far less proven together than typical AAC contenders.
The result is a roster defined by two traits:
- Higher overall talent than the previous season
- Limited continuity compared to established conference programs
If the roster gels quickly, USF has the talent to contend near the top of the AAC. If not, early inconsistency is a realistic outcome.
06 2026 Schedule Breakdown
USF will celebrate its 30th football season in 2026 while playing its final year at Raymond James Stadium.
| Date | Field | Opponent | Location | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Home | FIU | Raymond James Stadium | |
| Sept. 12 | Away | at Army | West Point, NY | AAC |
| Sept. 19 | Home | Delaware State | Raymond James Stadium | |
| Sept. 26 | Away | at Bowling Green | Bowling Green, OH | |
| Oct. 3 | Home | Temple | Raymond James Stadium | AAC |
| Oct. 17 | Home | Kent State | Raymond James Stadium | |
| Nov. 6 | Away | at ECU | Greenville, NC | AAC |
| Nov. 12 | Home | Memphis | Raymond James Stadium | AAC |
| TBD | Home | UAB | Raymond James Stadium | AAC |
| Nov. 21 | Away | at FAU | Boca Raton, FL | AAC |
| Nov. 27/28 | Home | Tulane | Raymond James Stadium | AAC |
The season-ending matchup against Tulane is expected to serve as the final regular-season home game in Raymond James Stadium before USF opens its new on-campus stadium in 2027.
07 Biggest Games on the Schedule
Sept. 12 at Army
- A early-season road test that will challenge discipline and execution. Army’s methodical, physical style makes this an early indicator of how quickly USF’s rebuilt roster can settle in.
Nov. 12 vs Memphis
- A late-season AAC matchup that could carry major conference implications. Memphis has been one of the league’s most consistent programs, making this a key measuring-stick game for USF’s progress.
Nov. 27/28 vs Tulane
- A potential top-tier AAC opponent and one of the most meaningful games on the schedule. With added historical weight as a likely final Raymond James Stadium regular-season game, it carries both competitive and emotional significance.
08 Where USF Fits in the AAC
USF enters the 2026 season with one of the highest ceilings in the AAC but also one of the least proven rosters in terms of continuity.
The combination of transfer talent and a new coaching staff creates significant upside, but also uncertainty compared to more established programs.
A finish in the upper-middle tier of the AAC feels like a reasonable baseline expectation, with the potential to rise higher if quarterback play and defensive cohesion develop quickly.
The most important factor will be consistency - especially at quarterback and along the defensive front - as USF attempts to turn roster talent into on-field results in Year One of the new era.
09 Season Prediction
Expectations are high entering year one of the Hartline era.
The Bulls return from a 9-win season, have reached bowl games in three consecutive years, and added one of the most highly regarded transfer classes outside the Power Four conferences.
2026 Projection
| Category | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Overall Record | 8–4 |
| AAC Record | 5–3 |
| AAC Finish | 4th |
The schedule presents opportunities for early success, but the season will likely be determined by how quickly the new roster develops chemistry and whether the quarterback position stabilizes.
A bowl appearance appears attainable, while a nine-win season and AAC Championship Game berth remain realistic possibilities if the transfer additions make an immediate impact.
The biggest variable remains Hartline himself.
If his success as a recruiter and talent developer translates to running an entire program, the Bulls could exceed expectations and enter their new stadium era with significant momentum.
Regardless of the final record, 2026 represents the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for USF football.
The final season at Raymond James Stadium will be remembered as the year Brian Hartline took over a program on the rise and attempted to push it to the next level.