USF Football: Head Coach Jeff Scott Doesn’t Mince Words, This Year’s QB Room is Better Than Last Year’s.

Everyone knows the quarterback room for the South Florida Bulls last season was a complete mess, and everyone includes Bulls’ second-year head coach Jeff Scott who didn’t mix his word on Tuesday when speaking the media.

“I think we have multiple guys,” Scott said. “Deep down, when [offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.], and I get in that room and shut the door, there are more than two guys we feel like we can win with this year. We did not feel that way last year.”

Cut to Jordan McCloud and Noah Johnson throwing their hands in the air like “wtf did we do to you?”

McCloud threw for 1,341 yards and nine touchdowns, including lighting up C. Florida in the season finale, but inconsistency, fumbles, and general poor play caused a perpetual rotation of signal callers for the Bulls in 2020. Johnson wasn’t much better as he threw 459 yards and three touchdowns, but he struggled for long stretches before being lost for the last couple of games of the season.

Freshman Katravis Marsh, and UNC transfer Cade Fortin were unprepared to get thrown into the fire after coming from high school, and sitting out a year, respectively They both also dealt with injuries the entire year.

Fortin was hand-picked by Scott last year to be the guy, but those injuries, and a lack of spring ball stunted his growth in the offense. But, he has blossomed nicely in his first full year under Scott. He took command of the offense in the spring and has built himself a nice lead for QB1 as we careen toward the season opener at NC State on September 2.

Newcomers Timmy McClain, and Miami transfer Jarren Williams will still have plenty of say on who takes the first snap against the Wolf Pack, and both have shown flashes early. WIlliams looked every bit of rusty that a year off will do to you during spring ball, but he’s dropped 30 pounds (now 210), and Scott says he’s finding his groove.

McClain has been on everyone’s radar since he committed to the Bulls last year. He hasn’t disappointed yet. He led a couple of scoring drives in the spring game, and has continued on the forward trajectory that will eventually have us all wondering what the fuss with Quinton Flowers was all about [OMG IM KIDDING. RELAX].

But watch this, and tell me his part in the show doesn’t scream future QB1?

We’re heading in the right direction with USF football, and we have to celebrate the small things, like maybe, just maybe the quarterback position is in the best spot it’s been since Flowers’ senior year.

“Right now we’re not seeking perfection. We’re seeking progress,” Scott said. “That’s really where we are as a program. We’ve got to see the progress in the right direction. You’re not just going to snap your fingers and it’s going to look completely different. We have seen progress.”