What a change a year can make. 

USF football kicked off their spring practice schedule Tuesday morning, ushering in the second installment of coach Alex Golesh’s tenure that witnessed one of the top turnarounds in college football last season.  

“A year ago there were no expectations,” Golesh said during a Tuesday press conference. “It felt that all we were worried about was us and our process.” 

The days of no expectations have eclipsed. In just 15 months on campus, the entire attitude around the program has changed. 

Related: USF football releases 2024 schedule 

USF football was stuck in a state of perpetual misery, etching out just four wins in three seasons under former coach Jeff Scott.

Now, USF has grabbed the attention of the national media, enough for one analyst to project them in next year’s expanded College Football Playoffs. 

It’s a renaissance for a program that has rebuilt itself from the ground up. 

So far, the Bulls have lived up those expectations. In just his second season, Golesh landed the top recruiting class out of 60 Group of 5 programs. It was the Bulls’ best recruiting effort since a lauded 2014 class. 

Notably, USF signed four-star tight end Jonathan Echols after he decommitted from Tennessee, which was the Bulls’ highest-rated commit since 2012. 

Golesh has also utilized the portal – he’s landed seven incoming transfers. The Bulls especially bolstered the defensive back room, adding four transfers to the roster.

Golesh says that the main difference in coaching his second year is an ability to focus on smaller details, rather than getting players in shape and bought into the program. 

“I think we’re establishing a foundation for what we are,” Golesh said. “A year ago today there were so many questions from the players to the coaches. ‘Are these guys really ready? Are the players bought in?’ I feel like we spent this offseason building trust and leadership in a lot of creative ways.” 

Related: USF using momentum to build on its best recruiting class in a decade

One of last season’s breakout stars, redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown, also has spent time working on becoming a more “vocal leader.” 

“There’s obviously things that I can clean up in the offense, just helping the guys around me,” Brown said. “In terms of being a leader, showing them the actions and continuing to be vocal.”

Brown – who said he added around 15 pounds to his frame this offseason – is stepping into his second season as the full-time starter. 

“Byrum is his own biggest critic,” Golesh said. “He’s as critical of himself as anybody, which makes him super easy to coach.” 

When speaking about expectations, they couldn’t be higher for Brown – who set multiple program records in his first season as a starter.

That’s not an issue for Brown – he’s just focusing on delivering this team a championship. 

“Everybody has their own opinions, that’s going to happen,” he said. “We’re just taking it day by day and putting our head down and going to work. We’re not going on what the outside has to say.” 

Football will play its annual Spring Game on April 13 at Corbett Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.