Stampeding The 2014 USF Football Roster - #90 DT James Hamilton

Today we meet a highly touted recruit who's looking to work his way onto the first string this season.

#90 DT James Hamilton
Junior, 6'2" 331 lbs.

Stats in 2013: Hamilton played in all 12 games last season, starting three at defensive tackle. He registered 17 tackles, including five for a loss.

Spot on 2013 Depth Chart: Second-string defensive tackle behind Luke Sager. Sager graduated, so Hamilton should compete with Todd Chandler for a starting role. He was briefly moved to the offensive line in the spring, but promptly moved back to defense after two weeks.

How Did He Come to USF: James came from Olympia High School in Orlando. He originally committed to Florida State, but switched to USF before signing day in a move that Tomahawk Nation assumed was for immediate playing time.

Recruiting Rankings: Rivals, 247 and Scout all gave Hamilton three stars, but ESPN gave him four. All four services ranked him between 25-30 among defensive tackles.

Projected Playing Time: Like we said for Todd Chandler, this could be the year that Hamilton becomes a full-time starter. Even if it's not, he should still see substantial playing time this season and should be a surefire starter in 2015 with both Chandler and Elkino Watson graduating.

Fun Fact: James is cousins with Bulls redshirt junior linebacker Corian Hamilton.