I think Skip Holtz has brought up his desire to redshirt as many freshmen as possible every day he's met with the media. With that in mind, I decided to take every true freshman listed on the USF roster and handicap their chances of getting playing time this year, based on their position, the depth in front of them, and their perceived ability to contribute right away.
This of course could all change when the first fall depth chart comes out on Saturday. And these odds are for entertainment only. No wagers, please.
Terrence Mitchell: Off the board. There's no question that USF's most highly-touted recruit of 2010 will be out there somewhere. He could be a nickel or dime corner, or merely a kick returner, but with the current state of the secondary and his talent, Mitchell is a guy that Holtz can't really afford to redshirt.
Todd Chandler: Even. There are a lot of talented players on the defensive line and it's probably the deepest position on the team. But with his talent level, the heat and humidity for the first month of the season, and the need to have fresh guys in the game at all times, Chandler will get in there at some point.
Jamius Gunsby: 3-2. We'll have to see whether Evan Landi ends up being the backup quarterback or not, but if he isn't, then Gunsby will probably get some mop-up action this year, like against Stony Brook or maybe Western Kentucky. If Daniels were to get hurt, I think Landi would be the first choice to move under center right now.
Deonte Welch: 3-1. Welch's odds go up dramatically because of the depth crisis at wide receiver, and because of his own versatility. At Williston High School (which doesn't have a whole lot of players to work with) he was a receiver, a running back, a Wildcat quarterback, and a punt returner. A situation could easily present itself for him this season.
Chris Veron: 6-1. Has to beat out Justin Brockhaus-Kann at punter first, and probably gets redshirted if he doesn't. But Holtz might be forced to un-redshirt him if Brockhaus-Kann was the starter and got hurt.
Marcus Shaw: 8-1. If Shaw doesn't work his way up to the #4 running back (behind Mo Plancher, Demetris Murray, and Bradley Battles) then I think he redshirts. But there's also the chance that Holtz decides to leave him in there and save his redshirt for another year, with Dontae Aycock and Darrell Scott waiting in the wings next year.
Stephen Bravo-Brown: 10-1. A walk-on receiver who might get into the mix just because of the uncertainty at his position.
Mark Joyce, Reshard Cliett: 20-1. Both third-string safeties, and it's pretty rare that you would get into a position where either one of them would have to get out there and play. Mistral Raymond is a senior (Jerrell Young is also an upperclassman) and I would guess both Joyce and Cliett will sit out a year to get ready to try and take their place on the field in 2011.
Hans Louis, Ruben Garcia: 20-1. With a dozen linebackers on the roster, Louis and Garcia will likely be saved for next year, after Sabbath Joseph, Donte Spires, and Jacquian Williams all move on.
Bobby Eveld: 30-1. Eveld is a walk-on quarterback. I would have included him in the "Field" section but on his own, he has a small chance of playing if injuries take their toll, or if USF just dusts someone by 60 points. It's probably between him and Ryan Eppes for the #3/#4 QB job, depending on whether Landi would move back or not.
Jake Kaufman, Quinterrious Eatmon, Tony Kibler: 50-1. Holtz has openly talked about redshirting all three of these offensive linemen with the depth and experience already in place on the offensive line. I'd be surprised if any of them played this year.
Field: 20-1. There are a few other names left - Jake Carlton, Jordan Duval, Tyler Guy, Marvin Kloss, Patrice Pierre, Austin Reiter, and Brandon Wilkinson - who are likely to redshirt. If I had to guess who out of this group might see action, I'd probably go with one of the tight ends (Carlton or Guy), although even that is unlikely with Holtz and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch willing to use their fullbacks as tight ends in certain situations.
Ineligible to play: Spencer Boyd, who transferred from Notre Dame.