USF is already lining up players who could be the Bulls' next quarterback after Matt Grothe finishes his career this fall, and coach Jim Leavitt extended a scholarship offer Saturday night to Clint Trickett, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound quarterback from North Florida Christian in Tallahassee.
Trickett, the son of FSU offensive line coach Rick Trickett, has shown himself to be a remarkably accurate passer, completing 68 percent of his passes in throwing for 2,600-plus yards and 25 touchdowns last season at NFC.
"People usually talk about my accuracy but say I don't have a real strong arm. Hopefully, I proved that my arm is strong enough," Trickett said. "It was one of my first times inside Raymond James Stadium and my first time meeting Coach Leavitt. It's always good when you can get another offer."
Trickett has three offers from BCS conference programs, with USF joining Louisville and Arkansas, and Trickett said he would also include Central Michigan and Colorado State among his top five. He said staying at FSU is not an option -- "I don't want to play for my dad," he said. -- and said he'll take all five of his official visits before making a decision after his senior season is complete. He said he's confident USF would get one of those visits.
As for meeting Leavitt, he called the Bulls coach "a lively guy." "He lived up to all the expectations, seeing him out there, running warmups with all of us," he said.
USF signed another NFC standout in linebacker Chase Griffiths back in February, and the two are close friends. Trickett knew that Griffith celebrated a birthday this past weekend and is headed to USF on Wednesday. His scouting report on Griffiths? "He's definitely a hard worker, one of the hardest workers we had. He's a strong guy, a big guy, and whether he plays this year or not, I know he'll bust his butt for you."
Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
Good stuff Greg. I look forward to it!
Their TE Braddie Ellison was there also. He was the TE MVP down in Miami.
Posted by: Jon | June 23, 2009 at 12:08 PM
I did meet Tevin Drake during the combine, but didn't talk to him extensively. He told me he was from Brooksville and I told him I'd started working for the Times in Hernando County, covering Hernando and Central in Brooksville and Springstead in Spring Hill. He said that Nature Coast is taking over the county ... I'll get more on him in next few days ...
Posted by: G.A. | June 23, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Did you see Tevin Drake out there Greg? He is making a lot of noise. He attended the Miami camp and got Overall Most Outstanding Player while competing against the likes of Eduardo Clements..(over-rated imo). Drake's big offer I see is from Miami and they already have 2 RBs committed. They were only looking for 1 or 2 with this class. Do you think Drake gets an offer or are we content with Powell right now?
Posted by: Jon | June 23, 2009 at 11:22 AM
We need to make Chaz Green our top priority. Looking at the tapes he has ridiculous athleticism for a big man and he is a polished pass protector. I believe he could start right away and it is a position of major need. We've never had a true star offensive lineman and if we can get the first one now, I think more will fall in line later on.
Posted by: ryan | June 23, 2009 at 09:52 AM
Running back is not a need. Ford, Kelly, and Taylor are around for two more years, and Murray has 4 left. Throw in Battles and Lamar (who is probably going to shuttle around, like Harvin or Jock Sanders). Tiger Powell is probably enough, as he'll become the new big back in two years. If we could land one of the elite ones, like Clements, I wouldn't complain.
QB is a need, as BJ and Landi will be the only ones with any time in the system next year. There's no guarantee that Marc and Virgin will be QBs in the future (and Marc would further solidify the RB spot). A position change for Landi could be in the future, too. So I like the idea of doing everything possible to keep Carnes and bring in a sleeper like Trickett. From what I read on Scout, it sounds like Canales really worked Trickett out and got a great look at him.
That's what I like about Superbull- it's almost like a try-out camp for a lot of guys, and using Ray Jay as a recruiting tool really helps create a strong impression.
Kibler could be decent, but on Scout it sounds like he's stuck to being an interior lineman. I think we need to land 3 OL guys, including at least one who has a tackle's body. With the loss of Thornton, a DT should be higher.
I think the priority list should be something like this: OL, LB, WR, QB, DT, and CB. There are fewer scholarships this year, too, so the staff should target kids who they know will get in and take fewer chances. Plus, I think any JUCO guys should be limited to LB and WR.
Posted by: David Weber | June 22, 2009 at 05:33 PM
Why is USF trying to recruit so many quarterbacks?
Why not focus on more o-line or running backs?
Posted by: stranger | June 22, 2009 at 03:44 PM
I can verify that offensive lineman Tony Kibler from Belle Glade committed on Saturday night. I've been playing phone tag with him in last 24 hours, but should have him on the phone shortly.
Posted by: G.A. | June 22, 2009 at 02:19 PM
Awesome stuff, I love these Q&A gems. Does anyone have any word/idea on who committed this weekend, if anyone?
Posted by: Kyle | June 22, 2009 at 02:07 PM