Today's #33 is a new transfer player, although maybe not as high profile as the two new running backs who become eligible to play this fall.
#33 CB Spencer Boyd
Redshirt Freshman, 5'9", 173 lbs.
Stats In 2010: None. Boyd sat out his mandatory season after transferring from Notre Dame, so in essence he used his redshirt year. He still has four years of eligibility remaining.
Current Position On Depth Chart: Spencer is listed as the co-second string at right cornerback along with walk-on Ernie Tabuteau. Boyd missed some time in spring practice with an injury, so he didn't get as much of a chance to move his way up even though he had a season of practice to prepare him to contribute.
How He Came To USF: Boyd originally committed to Notre Dame as part of their 2010 recruiting class, and enrolled early so he could take part in spring practice. But far from home, struggling to adapt to being away from his 2-year-old son, and buried deep on the depth chart, Boyd's grades slumped and he decided to transfer. After getting an "A" in a summer class at Notre Dame, Boyd had the grades he needed to transfer to South Florida last July. (USF was one of the many teams who had offered Boyd a scholarship before he committed to the Irish in July 2009.)
Recruiting Rankings: When he committed to Notre Dame, Rivals gave Boyd three stars, listing him as the #39 cornerback prospect and #70 overall player in Florida. Scout also listed Boyd as a three-star recruit and ranked him at #60 among all cornerbacks in the class of 2010.
Projected Playing Time In 2011: We'll probably have a better idea of how much Boyd will contribute when he's healthy enough to get through scrimmages, since that's where the coaches evaluate and shuffle the depth charts. For now, he has a chance to play in passing situations if he can beat out Tabuteau for the second-string RCB. Also, when he transferred, the coaches hinted that Spencer might get a shot at wide receiver. Although the secondary could use the reinforcements, we saw with Terrence Mitchell last year that the staff won't hesitate to move players to positions that they think will benefit the team.