USF’s Breakout Candidates: From Expected Stars to Under-the-Radar Names

The South Florida Bulls head into the 30th season of football with some of the highest expectations in program history.

USF heads into Brian Hartline’s first year at the helm with the expectation to win — and win a lot — immediately.

And whether or not that’s fair doesn’t change the reality that the Bulls are likely going to be favored in the vast majority of their games.

In order for USF to meet or exceed its lofty expectations, it is going to need a plethora of its 41 transfers to produce immediately. It will also need some of its 51 returning players to take on new roles of production for this year’s team.

Bottom line: If USF is going to win and win a lot, it will need players to step up and some players to break out.

The definition of a breakout player varies from person to person. And I recognize that some people can read two different articles about “breakout players” and feel like they were totally different.

So how I’m going to do this is break up the article into different tiers of breakout players.

Tier 1: These guys are expected to be major contributors

Running back Jason Collins Jr.

The Morgan State transfer will likely get plenty of carries this season. Collins Jr. is projected to split the majority of the carries with Dartmouth transfer D.J. Crowther in 2026.

However, while Crowther is likely going to offer stability from the backfield, Collins Jr. is likely going to be a big-play threat for the Bulls this season.

In 2024, Collins Jr. was the MEAC’s Newcomer of the Year. He posted 579 rushing yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry in his freshman campaign. He had three runs of 40 yards or longer in 11 games.

His strong freshman season led to Collins Jr. being named the preseason MEAC Offensive Player of the Year. However, a midseason injury led to Collins Jr. missing five games and averaging just 4.0 yards per carry.

Now Collins Jr. is healthy and poised to provide some explosive runs for the Bulls’ offense throughout the 2026 season.

Outside linebacker C.J. Hicks

Yes, I understand that Hicks is on everyone’s radar, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a breakout player.

Hicks only recorded 21 tackles in 44 games over the course of his four seasons at Ohio State.

This season, Hicks will be transitioning from an inside linebacker to an edge-rushing outside linebacker. USF defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge raved about Hicks’ versatility and said he’ll be a key player for USF’s defense a couple of weeks ago at fall camp. Aldridge even compared C.J. Hicks to one of his former players, Jalen McLeod, whom he coached at Auburn and who was a draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Hicks is poised to be a game wrecker for USF’s defense. When he was asked about how confident he was in the Bulls’ defense a couple of weeks ago, Hicks just smiled and said, “You’ll see in a few weeks.”

He has first-team all-conference player written all over him.

Tier 2: You don’t know these guys right now, but you will in two weeks

Linebacker Sam Robinson

Robinson spent his last two seasons at Rutgers. He didn’t play in his freshman campaign and played 10 games last season for the Scarlet Knights.

Despite only having 11 tackles last season, Robinson is uber-talented. He was rated as a top-30 linebacker and four-star prospect in the 2023 class.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker has all the intangibles of a game changer. He moves fast and fluently and will likely be someone who is a bigger factor in pass coverage, with Howard being the bigger linebacker at 240 pounds.

Robinson was paired with Howard as the first-team inside linebackers when I was out at fall camp over the last couple of weeks.

The Tallahassee native could flourish in a heightened role with USF this season.

Wide receiver Jey’Quan Smith

With all of the receivers coming in through the transfer portal this offseason, Smith’s decision to come back flew under the radar.

Smith has spent the last three seasons with USF, accumulating 17 catches for 257 yards during that stretch.

However, Smith had his best game in USF’s last one. He had five catches for 51 yards in his only start last season in the Cure Bowl.

Smith has blazing speed, making him one of the Bulls’ prolific deep threats. This is a great fit for starter Michael Van Buren’s impressive deep ball, one of his best skill sets.

Van Buren and Smith could be a perfect match for one another. With USF’s offense likely going to rely on the rushing attack to set up play-action passes, Smith could be due for some big catches over the course of the season.

With all of the new receivers coming into the fold, don’t forget about Smith’s prolific skills, along with his 28 games of experience in a Bulls jersey.

Tier 3: The Deeper Pulls

Tight end Evan Dangler

A lot of the attention in the Bulls’ tight end room has gone to Wyatt Sullivan, but Dangler is someone to keep an eye on.

USF is poised to use its tight ends far more than it has in previous seasons. Hartline’s offense targeted tight ends 23% of the time last season, while the 2025 Bulls only targeted their tight ends 12% of the time.

The USF offense will likely use two-tight-end sets frequently this season. While Sullivan might be the leading target getter in the tight end room, Dangler could also get his fair share.

Dangler had a strong spring game, recording a couple of long catches from Michael Van Buren.

He has spent the last three seasons with USF, playing in a sparing role. Last season, Dangler recorded his first touchdown catch against Charlotte.

This could be the season that Dangler’s patience pays off.

JACK Shamar Meikle

Meikle is a player who is flying under the radar for the Bulls’ defense.

He played in 11 games last season with Oregon State, posting 28 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks.

Meikle played his best against the best competition. He had a season-high 11 tackles against Oregon in the Civil War last season. He also had half a sack and a tackle for loss against Texas Tech.

Josh Aldridge’s scheme will favor players who are aggressive and wreak havoc. Meikle seems like the perfect fit.

Meikle has been garnering praise during fall camp, earning his black shirt last week. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound edge rusher has all the intangibles to be a game wrecker.

Keep an eye out for him and all of these guys as the Bulls take the field this week.