USF Bulls count on young players to break losing streak

USF coach Skip Holtz used the bye week last week to evaluate his depth and find younger players who are strong candidates for larger roles. Here are five who you can expect to see more of in the second half of 2012, starting Saturdayagainst Louisville:

Sean Price, TE: True freshman from North Marion still seeks his first catch, but expect to see more of his physical 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame. Next year, with seniors Evan Landi and Andreas Shields gone, he could step right into a starting role.

D'Vario Montgomery, WR: Another true freshman, Montgomery looks to follow the path of Andre Davis, who last year had four catches in the first half of the season, then 18 in the second half. At 6-5, he'll present mismatches against shorter corners.

Reshard Cliett, LB: Sophomore got his first start against FSU, but went down with hamstring injury after only four plays. The hard-hitting converted safety should start at strongside, allowing senior Sam Barrington to move to middle linebacker.

Tashon Whitehurst, LB: True freshman made a splash with blocked punt against FSU, but expect him to get more reps at weakside linebacker — he'll be a candidate for a starting job next year when Barrington and Michael Lanaris graduate.

Clavion Nelson, DE: Redshirt freshman is huge at 274 pounds, but USF coaches like the way his long arms can deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. Coming off bench, he'll be a help to Bulls' run defense against Louisville's power offense.