> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # USF’s Offensive Line Carousel: A Ride Bulls Fans Are Scared to Take - URL: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/usfs-offensive-line-carousel-a-ride/ - Published: 2026-10-01T13:04:45.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T15:44:38.000Z - Description: Will the Bulls offensive line struggles continue as conference play arrives? - Author: Collin Sherwin - Tags: #Migrated-1792597384348, #Import 2026-10-21 15:44 Winning hasn’t exactly been pretty for South Florida this season. The Bulls have clawed their way to a 4-0 start to the season for the first time since 2018\. However, the way they’ve done it has been anything but convincing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/a9/77a9bb8f-d0f1-45b5-8fed-5feacd465ef5/content/images/2026/10/4868ad6d-5274-4aad-b550-3577b28bde48_1280x853-jpeg.jpg) Vanessa Wenzl | The Bay Area Examiner Three of USF’s four wins have come by a combined 22 points. The Bulls have needed two fourth-quarter comebacks in the first month of Brian Hartline’s tenure. On Saturday, USF needed one of the aforementioned fourth-quarter comebacks due to an anemic offensive performance. The Bulls were held to a season-low 14 points and were held scoreless through three quarters. The struggles were due in large part to struggles from the Bulls’ offensive line, a unit that has some serious question marks surrounding it as the Bulls head into the grind of conference play. ## Questions swirl around USF’s offensive line moving forward To say that the Bulls struggled in pass protection on Saturday against Bowling Green is putting it lightly. The Falcons sacked USF quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. six times. Four and a half of those sacks came from Bowling Green defensive end Miles Bradley, who set a school record for sacks against the Bulls on Saturday. Five of Bowling Green’s six sacks came on nonblitzing plays. Van Buren Jr. was pressured on 59.1% of his dropbacks on Saturday evening. The pass-blocking struggles were contagious among the Bulls’ offensive line against the Falcons. Four of USF’s five starting linemen had pass-blocking grades of 45 or lower, according to Pro Football Focus. Bowling Green only had three sacks on the season heading into the game. On the other side, the Bulls’ offense had only allowed Van Buren Jr. to be sacked twice in the team’s first three games. Was it a fluke performance? Hartline says so. “No one game is going to give you confidence and no one game is going to steal your confidence. It’s just a body of work. It’s another opportunity to add to the body of work and the guys responded well,” he said at Tuesday’s press conference. But there’s reason to believe that the struggles could continue for the Bulls’ offensive line. The biggest reason is USF is still searching for the five guys best equipped to lead the Bulls’ offense to success. Through four games, USF has used four different starting offensive line combinations. In Week 1, the Bulls trotted out senior Arizona transfer Michael Wooten at left tackle, graduate Georgia Southern transfer Caleb Cook at left guard, redshirt freshman Khalil Collins at center, graduate Thomas Shrader at right guard and senior Cincinnati transfer Ethan Green at right tackle. Then, in Week 2 against Army, the Bulls shuffled Cook over to right guard, Shrader to center and inserted sophomore Coastal Carolina transfer Julius Tate at right guard. Week 3 saw the Bulls insert sophomore Braden Carter at left tackle due to a lower-body injury sustained by Wooten against Army. Then, last Saturday, the Bulls made another major shuffle, moving Green to left tackle, Shrader to right tackle and Collins back in at center. Shrader struggled mightily in his college debut as a tackle, posting a 0.0 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF, against Bowling Green. The Bulls will likely have to shuffle their starting offensive line once again on Saturday, with Wooten’s status unclear and Shrader getting injured in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. He was spotted on crutches after the game. “We got a handful of guys who are out, so I’m not sure how consistent from a personnel standpoint week in and week out,” Hartline said about the injuries. “We have plenty of guys. There’s no excuses. We’ll get the job done regardless of any issues we may have or turmoil we may have.” Another question surrounding the Bulls’ offensive line group is the absence of Missouri State transfer Cash Hudson this season. He transferred to USF this offseason after starting 30 games over the course of the previous three seasons with the Bears. He made second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2024. The thought was that Hudson would be vying for the starting center job for the Bulls heading into the season, but instead, he’s yet to play a snap in 2026\. Hudson didn’t show up on the American Conference Availability Report before USF’s game against Army in Week 2, and he’s not known to be injured. His absence is puzzling considering all of the shuffling and injuries the Bulls have gone through up front. Overall, the Bulls rank 84th in the FBS in sacks allowed, 55th in rushing yards and 113th in passing yards this season. USF will finish the season playing seven of its last eight games against conference opponents. It will need to find some consistency among its offensive line if it wants to continue its winning ways. Maybe Saturday’s group will be the one they strike gold with.