True to his word, USF’s Alex Golesh keeps culling players from portal

True to his post-spring proclamation, new USF coach Alex Golesh has spent the past couple of months immersed in the transfer portal in an effort to fortify a Bulls roster in transition.

The results: some notable additions to offset the Bulls’ attrition.

Since the portal’s spring window opened on April 15, Golesh has added five Football Bowl Subdivision transfers, including four from Power Five programs. Two were consensus three-star prospects coming out of high school. Another — receiver Jaden Alexis (Texas) — got four-star ratings from ESPN and Rivals coming out of Pompano Beach’s Monarch High.

Similarly, linebackers Andrew Mata’afa (Utah) and Jamie Pettway (Florida Atlantic) were deemed four-star prospects by 247Sports.

The short-term hope is, the group — along with those who arrived in the winter — can provide depth to depleted areas and help compensate for the loss of departed players such as receiver Xavier Weaver (Colorado), offensive lineman Dustyn Hall (Duke) and linebacker Antonio Grier (Arkansas).

“I think (Golesh) has done a good job of getting in there and addressing the positions of need,” said On3.com national host Josh Newberg, a longtime Florida college football reporter and recruiting analyst.

“You’re not going to turn it around in an offseason, but if you can bring in the right transfer in Year 1, they play well, it’s an easy sell next year to the next crop of transfers, and they’ll see that USF is a place that they can go, play and find success.”

Of the newest group of transfers, Pettway — who began his college career at Missouri — had the most productive season in 2022. Playing under current Bulls defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, he totaled 51 tackles and a sack in 10 games at FAU, starting the last six.

He is joined in his latest wave by interior offensive lineman Zane Herring (FSU) and defensive tackle Bernard Gooden (Wake Forest). A Seminoles redshirt in 2020, Herring appeared in 13 games last season as a backup guard and special teams fixture. Gooden played in 12 games as a Demon Deacons redshirt freshman in 2022, totaling seven tackles including 1.5 for loss.

Alexis, whose dad Rich played briefly in the NFL as a tailback, appeared in only one game the last two seasons at Texas. He opted not to play as a senior at Monarch in 2020 (which was disrupted by COVID-19), but had 49 receptions for 894 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior.

Mata’afa, who has one season of eligibility remaining, appeared in 38 career games at Utah, but never recorded more than eight tackles in a season. He did, however, record two tackles in the Utes’ 47-24 rout of USC in the Pac-12 title game.

USF’s latest transfers

LB Jamie Pettway (FAU), R-Jr., 6-2/230

DL Bernard Gooden (Wake Forest), So., 6-1/273

OL Zane Herring (FSU), R-Jr., 6-5/320

WR Jaden Alexis (Texas), So., 6-0/186

LB Andrew Mata’afa (Utah), Sr., 6-3/221

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