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Bulls set for potential 4-player quarterback derby in ’18

USF signed two promising quarterbacks Wednesday to compete with the pair of veterans returning
 
Published Dec. 20, 2017|Updated Dec. 21, 2017

Now that USF's initial flurry of faxes has subsided, Bulls fans can be assured of at least one tantalizing story line in 2018.

The Bulls' most sprawling quarterback derby in at least five years.

Veterans Brett Kean and Chris Oladokun — the clear front-runners to replace Quinton Flowers at this point — formally received some competition when three-star Atlanta QB Octavious Battle and three-star Plant QB Jordan McCould were among 16 recruits to sign Wednesday with USF.

By day's end, the class — which will increase to 17 signees when Admiral Farragut WR Zion Roland signs — was ranked second in the American Athletic Conference behind Cincinnati by 247Sports and Rivals. The Bulls addressed immediate areas of need by signing four defensive linemen and three linebackers.

But the quarterbacks, and the immediate competition they could provide, generated a majority of the early-signing buzz.

It's unclear whether Battle will enroll early, but McCloud won't arrive at USF until June, Plant coach Robert Weiner said. Either way, USF appears poised — barring a transfer — to have at least four players vying for the starting job since the 2013 preseason (Matt Floyd, Bobby Eveld, Steven Bench, Mike White).

"You have two players here in the program, and we're trying to sign us a quarterback, but it's gonna be competition there," Strong said Monday.

Battle, the nation's 37th-ranked dual-threat QB by 247Sports, represents a coup of sorts for Charlie Strong, who secured a commitment from him in June.

Rangy at 6-foot-2 (his Hudl profile lists him at 6-4), he totaled nearly 4,000 yards as a senior (including 3,221 passing yards and 23 touchdowns), brandishing some Flowers-type elusiveness when his pocket collapsed.

McCloud is ranked five spots behind Battle in the 247 rankings. He totaled nearly 2,800 yards (26 passing TDs) as a Plant senior and — while not summoned to run extensively — also administered damage with his legs (389 rushing yards).

Whenever the two arrive on campus, they'll face two older competitors who already have a logged a year in offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert's veer-and-shoot system, but got limited live action. Kean has attempted 11 passes this season, Oladokun one.

"The good thing about it is…Sterlin has a system in place," Strong said. "So guys now just have to come in and get coached hard and just be willing to manage a game and become a leader at that position."