Is Gerry Bohanon the front-runner in USF’s quarterback derby?

He kicked off college football’s talking season Tuesday by recycling a sound bite from spring practice: Alex Golesh reiterated practically every starting position at USF is up for grabs.
“Again, it’s not coach-talk, but we’re going to go in Day 1 and compete,” the Bulls’ first-year coach told reporters at the American Athletic Conference media days in Arlington, Texas. “And it will feel a little like spring again, just with a bunch more knowledge that these guys have in terms of the scheme on all three sides of the ball. But I’ve got a bunch of questions.”
Yet for those into deciphering tea leaves, the annual quarterback question might be answered sooner rather than later.
Which is to say, several signs point to sixth-year senior Gerry Bohanon as the front-runner.
The Baylor transfer (and 2022 opening-night starter), who suffered a torn labrum last fall, has been cleared for preseason practice after being confined to mostly observing and taking “mental reps” in the spring. Any initial pitch count to which Bohanon is limited likely won’t extend past early August.
“I’ve been throwing for a few months now,” Bohanon told ESPN during a media-day interview Tuesday.
Additionally, Bohanon was one of two Bulls players — including defensive lineman Rashad Cheney — whom Golesh chose to accompany him to media days, a privilege annually bestowed upon those considered ideal representatives of the program.
Alex Golesh at the podium for @USFFootball
📺 https://t.co/5yonV1VUYa pic.twitter.com/a5fpDyPivz
— The American (@American_Conf) July 25, 2023
“He’s done an incredible job leading on both sides of the ball,” Golesh said, “and has been a pleasure to be around.”
That comment followed a glowing character assessment of Bohanon by Golesh during a radio interview with WDAE only last week.
“I just spent two years (at Tennessee) around one of the most marvelous human beings I’ve ever been around in Hendon Hooker. And prior to that, Dillon Gabriel (at UCF), and prior to that, Brock Purdy (at Iowa State),” Golesh told the radio station.
“For whatever reason, just had some incredible quarterbacks, but incredible personalities, too — guys that act like quarterbacks, that carry themselves like quarterbacks, that actually do right off the field like quarterbacks should do. And so Gerry, especially in the first four or five months he couldn’t be on the field, that’s what Gerry did.”
Before his season ended in Game 7 against Tulane, Bohanon mostly sputtered in his debut season as a Bull, totaling more than 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns but tossing six interceptions and completing 58% of his throws. He went 12-for-28 in a 31-28 loss at Florida but ran for 102 yards on 15 carries.
After a dreadful game at Louisville (9-for-17, two interceptions), he tossed six touchdowns with no picks and totaled 250 rushing yards his final three contests.
Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter
We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.
Loading...
But his injury resulted in the emergence of rookie Byrum Brown, who sparkled (34-for-45, 380 yards, 185 rushing yards) in narrow losses to Tulsa (48-42) and UCF (46-39) in the season’s final two games.
While conventional logic suggests the derby is a two-player race between Bohanon and Brown, Golesh remained firm Tuesday in his assertion that anyone could win it.
But as dusk sets on July, the tea leaves seem to be leaning toward Bohanon.
“It’s wide open from quarterback to receiver to O-line, Golesh said Tuesday.