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Back at 105: Walk-on WR Wilkins rejoins Bulls
USF coach Skip Holtz continues to make optimal use of his 105-man roster, and with receiver Colby Erskin suffering a season-ending knee injury Saturday, the Bulls have added former walk-on Justin Wilkins, who was on the roster in 2008, to the roster.
Wilkins, a junior who went to high school not far from Vero Beach at Fort Pierce Central, wore No. 86 at practice Tuesday night, but needs to go through the required five-day acclimatization process -- Holtz likes to call it that -- where he starts in shorts, then slowly works his way into full contact. Wilkins had shown promise in 2008 before he suffered a shoulder injury -- we wrote about him joining the team in 2008, and the strange part of it was that Wilkins originally was added to the Bulls roster in '08 after ... a Colby Erskin torn ACL. ... Read more
Fred Lewis Jr. hopes to join Bulls as walk-on
Fred Lewis Jr., a 6-foot-4 guard from Bayshore Christian whose father played on USF's NCAA Tournament teams in 1990 and 1992, said Saturday that he will attend USF this fall and hopes to join Stan Heath's team as a walk-on.
"It's Division I, and the competition is going to be great," said Lewis, who averaged 24.6 points per game and earned third-team all-state honors as a senior.
Lewis could have played at Division II Tampa or at Saint Leo, where his father, Fred Lewis Sr., is an assistant coach, but instead he'll try to make it at USF. He has not been assured of a roster spot, and said he's been told by USF's assistant coaches that the Bulls will carry two walk-ons, with Heath's son Jordan already in one of the spots. Lewis said he's been going to open gym at the Sun Dome twice a week for six weeks and has been "pretty good" in playing with USF's current players.
Lewis said he needs to add some weight -- he's at 185 pounds right now -- and wants to work on his jump shot. His father said the chance for his son to improve his game with the Bulls would be a great opportunity. ... Read more
Lakewood Ranch TE joins Bulls as walk-on
Another new preferred walk-on we can confirm for USF football: Jake Carlton, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound H-back and tight end from Lakewood Ranch High, down near Bradenton.
Carlton is a high school teammate of Bulls freshman offensive lineman Austin Reiter, who early-enrolled in January, and Lakewood Ranch coach Shawn Trent said that Carlton was a strong safety his junior year, then moved into the hybrid H-back role last fall.
"He's such a good athlete, catches the ball so well that we used him in that role," Trent said.
Carlton, who also played basketball at Lakewood Ranch, drew a lot of attention from Division I-AA and II schools, Trent said, but was strong enough academically that he could take a Bright Futures scholarship to USF and play football close to home.
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