USF Bulls Ranked No. 21 in Preseason Coaches Poll

Mackey Award Watch List: Mitchell Wilcox (TRAVIS FAILEY PHOTO)

Tampa, Fla. –Fresh off a program record 11-win season, the USF football program was ranked No. 21 in the Preseason Amway Coaches Poll on Thursday. It is the first time since 2008 USF has earned a preseason top 25 ranking. The Bulls appearing at No. 21 matches the highest-ever for the program in the preseason coaches poll (2008).

USF was the only program from the American Athletic Conference to earn a preseason ranking. Four other teams from The American received votes for the preseason ranking, including Temple (Thur., Sept. 21), Houston (Sat., Nov. 4) and Tulsa (Thur., Nov. 16), which all play at Raymond James Stadium this season. The Temple and Tulsa games are already set for ESPN primetime kickoffs.

USF has eight players who are represented on 13 national award watch lists: senior quarterback Quinton Flowers (Maxwell, Walter Camp, O’Brien & Unitas), senior punter Jonathan Hernandez (Ray Guy), senior running back D’Ernest Johson (Hornung), senior cornerback Deatrick Nichols (Bednarik, Nagurski & Thorpe), senior center Cameron Ruff (Rimington), senior linebacker Auggie Sanchez (Nagurski & Wuerffel), senior defensive lineman Deadrin Senat (Nagurski & Outland) and sophomore tight end Mitchell Wilcox (Mackey).

USF begins the 2017 season on the road at San Jose State on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network. The Bulls return to the Bay Area for their home opener against Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. That game will air on ESPN3.

Quinton Flowers (photo Vicki DiAddezio)

About USF Football

USF finished the 2016 season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll with a school-record 11 wins following the program’s fifth-ever bowl victory in the Birmingham Bowl. The Bulls’ 11-2 record marked the fifth-best winning percentage in FBS football in 2016 and one of just 11 teams to reach 11 wins. USF set nearly 40 team and individual records in 2016, including team records for total yards (6,650), rushing yards (3,714), touchdowns (77) and scoring (569). Junior quarterback Quinton Flowers was named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led a school-record 10 players named to the all-conference team, six of which, including Flowers, will return in 2017.

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