After a strong debut season last year, today's player on the roster countdown will look to continue his run of form. (See, we told you we like soccer.)
#26 S Mark Joyce
Sophomore, 5'10", 197 lbs.
Stats In 2010: Mark played in all 13 games in his first season at USF, including a start against Louisville. Joyce had 33 tackles on the season, a forced fumble, and an interception returned for a touchdown in the season opener against Stony Brook.
Current Position On Depth Chart: Joyce was listed as the backup to Jerrell Young at free safety on the post-spring depth chart
How He Came To USF: Joyce comes to USF from DeLand High School. An outside linebacker for the Bulldogs, Joyce led DeLand to the 2009 Class 6A championship game, where they fell to Miramar High School. Joyce chose USF over offers from Louisville, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, and Ole Miss, among others.
Recruiting Rankings: Rivals gave Mark three stars and had him listed 63rd among safeties in the class of 2010. Scout also rated Joyce as a three-star prospect and ranked him as the #57 safety last February.
Projected Playing Time In 2011: Joyce will see quite a bit of action this season as the third safety behind Young and Jon LeJiste, before most likely taking over for Young next season.