Only Rodney Adams Days Until USF Football

#87 WR Rodney Adams
Junior, 6'1", 190 lbs.

Stats in 2014: Adams appeared in 10 games, and would've appeared in them all if it weren't for a late-season ankle injury. He started three games (which is another vaguely misleading statistic-- Adams played more than Deonte Welch, who often began the game lined up across from Andre Davis). At any rate, he was USF's most productive receiver not named Andre Davis, and caught 23 passes for 323 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also was a threat on end arounds, getting five carries for 52 yards.

Spot On Spring Depth Chart: Not only was Adams the starter at the 'Z' receiver position (the flanker-- the receiver that plays off the line of scrimmage of the strong side of the formation), he was also listed as the backup slot receiver. From what we've seen in the spring, it seems like Adams will line up across from Ryeshene Bronson in two-receiver sets and move to the slot in three receiver sets, when A.J. Legree will step in as flanker. Think Adams is gonna be important this season?

How He Came to USF: It was quite a route. Adams came out of Lakewood High School in St. Pete and was originally committed to Florida, but decommitted amidst health issues and concerns over academics. He wound up signing with Toledo and played as a true freshman, catching a pair of balls for 15 yards. Devastatingly, his mother passed away in a car crash in November, and Rodney transferred to USF to be closer to his family. He was granted immediate eligibility via the NCAA's hardship waiver.

Through all this, he's been nothing but humble and hardworking. Rodney Adams should be one of your favorite Bulls.

Recruiting Rankings: Scout and Rivals both gave him three stars, but ESPN and 247 gave him four. Rivals and ESPN ranked him at 53 and 54 respectively among receivers, but 247 was fond of him and put him at 38.

Projected Playing Time: A lot. As we've been saying, the Bulls are thin at receiver, and Adams is the only proven option they have. He's going to do a bit of everything: lining up outside, lining up in the slot, and taking handoffs. If he can fix the drops that afflicted him at times in 2014-- and remember, he was a second-year receiver playing his first full season of college football-- Rodney could be a stud this season.

Fun Fact: How about some fun expectations? With Taggart's new hurry-up (I use the term in a relative sense), spread offense, Coach T is counting on Adams to be the guy. Check these quotes from the first spring practice.

"Rodney's got to step up, he's got to be the man," coach Willie Taggart said after Monday's inaugural spring practice of 2015. "His role's going to expand a lot more, and he's going to be a big part of our offense. He has to be."

And from Rodney himself:

"I'm ready to step up and be that big-time player in our offense, step up to what (Davis') expectation was. Whatever we need. … I'm right there, just give me the ball and I'll convert big plays."

Highlights: Let's relive some of Rodney's big plays from last season, shall we?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/woM08bUkgic" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0zm0pzTdqc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>