Phil Steele is considered one of the best minds in college football, and if his predictions are correct, the Bulls will have their best season in school history.

Steele has been going through his Top 40 teams all month, and today he unveiled USF as the 20th best team in the country and winning the Big East.

Yep, I'm not kidding. You can click the link again, or check Twitter for everyone's reaction. We're all pretty surprised about the Bulls being so high

As much as I love Steele's optimism, I'm having a pretty tough time seeing the Bulls being THAT good this year. Yeah there should be some easy wins this season, but after watching last year's team stumble through Big East play, it'll take a while before I can even think this is a possibility.

You can see the PDF here (which you should, its a must read for any college football fan) and you should hurry as today is the only day you'll be able to see it for free.

For those trying to revolve their weekend around the USF-Hofstra Super Regional, GOOD NEWS! The schedule of the three game series was just released. Joey Johnson of the Tampa Tribune was the first to release the schedule, and it goes as follows:

• Game 1: Friday, May 25th at 7:00 PM
• Game 2: Saturday, May 26th at 2:30 PM
• Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, May 26th at 5:00 PM

And for you who are out of town and can't make it to the USF Softball Stadium, we have good news for you as well. The entire three game set will be televised on ESPNU.

(UPDATE 2:30 PM) Tickets are now available for the first two games this weekend, and all things considering its a pretty good deal. Adults are 7 dollars a piece, while children and students are only 5 dollars. Even the dreaded Ticketmaster fees are less than a dollar a piece.

Oh and students are free like always.

In a classic pitchers duel in the Gainesville Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Jessica Mouse's glove saved the day as the USF Bulls defeated the UCF Knights 1-0.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Mouse made a leaping catch that would have easily plated two runs. Mouse was at it again in the 7th, as her double play with runners on 1st and 2nd ended the game. You can watch both plays on the video sidebar to the right.

Sara Nevins, who is a boss, was dominant in the circle again for Ken Eriksen, giving up 4 hits and striking out 10 Knights in 6-2/3 innings of work. Lindsey Richardson recorded one out in the 6th before Nevins came back into the game.

The only run of the game occurred in the 3rd inning, when CF Janine Richardson brought home Ashli Goff on a sacrifice fly after the Bulls loaded the bases with one out.

USF will take on FGCU tomorrow in the winner's bracket after the Eagles upset the 5th seeded Gators 2-1. First pitch tomorrow is slated for 1:00 PM.

With one scholarship remaining, Coach Heath is trying to bring in former NC State F Tyler Harris for an official visit according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Auman spoke with Harris' father Torrell, who told Greg that Tyler is also considering offers from UAB, Providence, and Temple

The 6'8 Harris played in 19 games for the Wolfpack this season, starting 3 of them and averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.9 minutes a game.

Harris was a 3-star recruit coming out of St. Benedict's HS by both Rivals and Scout, and was the 135th overall prospect in the Class of 2011 by Rivals. He chose NC State over offers from Iowa, Providence, and St. John's among others.

Harris would be a great pickup this late in the transfer process. With a quality point guard nowhere to be found, Heath can't go wrong a player who can step into the wing rotation in 2013, especially if Victor Rudd leaves at the end of next season. We have a video of Harris after the jump from high school, and you can see that he has a great shot, and is a quality passer for a guy his size.

Harris would have three years of eligibility left after sitting out next year.

Like always, we will keep you updated.

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Morning V5ers! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, my brain has been reduced to mush with a newborn and a toddler running around the house. Parenthood! Let's see what we've missed.

1. The big news of course was Athletics unveiling the completely renovated Sun Dome. You can find photos of the ceremony here and a video on the right sidebar or click this link. First thoughts. Holy. Crap. It looks beautiful. Can't wait to bring my son over for a game next year.

2. Congrats to the Marci KornegayWomen's Golf team for winning their first Big East title by a stroke over Notre Dame this past weekend in Orlando. Wait for it...wait for it...Get your Gaga on ladies.

They will be off to Ohio State next week to participate in the NCAA Central Regional in Columbus. Best of luck ladies!

3. The softball team rebounded nicely last weekend, sweeping Villanova in a three game set. Ken Eriksen's squad moved up 1 spot to #16 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll while they held steady at #18 in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll.

4. Congrats to the sailing team who qualified for the national championships after winning the SAISA Conference Women's Championships two weeks ago. The victory moved the Bulls up #10 in the national polls.

5. Oh Rutgers, why must you wear such horrible uniforms.

Coach Stan Heath and the basketball team picked up some much needed frontcourt depth as FAU PF Kore White will transfer to USF. Evan Daniels of Scout.com was the first to report White's transfer, who will come in as a graduate transfer and play immediately in the fall.

The 6'8, 250 lb White played in 29 games for the Owls, starting 24 of them and averaged 7.7 PTS/4.5 REB/1.3 BLK a contest.

I'm a big fan of this move. While White won't start at the 4, Kore will provide experienced depth at a position that will be a bit thin next season. White will be a solid 3rd post behind Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Waverly Austin for Coach Heath and his presence let Stan ease freshmen Zach LeDay and Jordan Omogbehin into the rotation as they acclimate to the college game.

Coach Heath has one scholarship left for this class, and it would be pretty awesome if there was a graduate transfer point guard that's looking for a place to land.

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With the 119th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins have selected Keenan Robinson, a linebacker from the University of Texas. These NFL Draft 2012 results confirm the projection for Davis, whom many evaluators felt would be taken in the third or fourth round.

As a senior at Texas last season, Robinson recorded 106 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and one sack. He was named second-team All-Big 12 and was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. Robinson has solid speed and is good in the run defense, but doesn't have great strength.

The Redskin's next pick is the 6th pick in the 5th round, number 141 overall.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation DC's Storystream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit SBNation.com. For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

With the 109th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Alameda Ta’Amu, defensive tackle from the Washington Huskies. These NFL Draft 2012 results go against the projection for Norman, whom many scouts and evaluators feel was a second or third round selection.

Ta’Amu was a two-year starter for Washington also playing in nearly every game his sophomore season with the Huskies. He’s a powerful interior defensive lineman that caught the eye of NFL Scouts at the 2012 Senior Bowl, showcasing his athleticism. Most believe Ta’Amu will be a 3-4 nose tackle at the next level.

Pittsburgh's next pick is the 24th pick of the 5th round, number 159 overall.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation Pittsburgh's Storystream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit Mocking The Draft.

With the 102nd pick of the 2012 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins have selected Kirk Cousins, a quarterback out of Michigan State. Cousins was considered the fourth or fifth best QB in this season's NFL draft behind the first two overall picks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III along with Ryan Tannehill, so where he was going to be drafted was a bit of a mystery. Most mock drafts had him going around the second round so this selection spot was surprising.

In his final year with Michigan State, Cousins put up 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. A boost to his stock is that he played in a pro system rather than the spread offense which are all the rage in college ball right now.

The Redskins next pick is the 14th selection in the 4th round.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation D.C.'s Storystream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit SBNation.com. For more on the Washington Redskins, check out Hogs Haven. For more on the Michigan State Spartans, check out The Only Colors. For more in depth coverage of the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

"With the 98th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins have selected Lamar Miller, a running back from the University of Miami who came into the NFL Draft as a borderline second or third round draft pick.

The 5’11", 212 lb Miller had a breakout campaign with the Hurricanes last year after serving as a backup the previous season. Miller rushed for 1272 yards last season, averaging 5.6 yards per carry with 9 touchdowns to go with 17 catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Miller is one of the fastest running backs in this year’s draft and is electric in the open field. He has good strength for his size and can contribute on special teams immediately.

Miami's next pick is the 10th pick in the 5th round.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit SB Nation Tampa Bay's Storystream. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit SBNation.com. For more on the Miami Dolphins, visit The Phinsider. For more on the Hurricanes, visit The 7th Floor. For even comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a pretty strong draft going through the first two rounds according to most pundits, but a perplexing decision in Round 3 has Will Brinson of CBSSports.com declaring the Jags a loser in the second day of the draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars -- Jacksonville got aggressive on the first day of the draft, jumped up in the draft and snagged Justin Blackmon. Then they stole Andre Branch early in the second round, setting themselves up for a potentially dominant draft ... and then they took a punter in the third round. Jaguars fans should all buy Bryan Anger jerseys, if only to show their emotions in written form on their backs.

Even though Anger was by far the best punter in the draft, Anger would have been easily available in the next round or two.

You can head over to Big Cat Country for more on all things Jacksonville Jaguars football. You can also head over to Mocking the Draft and the SB Nation NFL hub page.

The NFL Draft is an exciting time for everyone. You get to find out the next group of players that will lead you to the promised land. Some people however are just a little too excited. Visual evidence after the jump.

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Multiple media outlets including Brett McMurphy of CBSSportsline.com are reporting that the Rutgers-USF game scheduled for September 15th in Tampa has been moved up and will now be played on Thursday, September 13th at 7:30 PM. The game will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN.

Both teams will have to face short weeks, but the Scarlet Knights should have an easier turnaround from the previous week. USF will have to travel across the country to take on Nevada the Saturday before while the Scarlet Knights stay at home and face FCS Howard University. Rutgers should be able to rest their starters for part of the game while building up an early lead against the Bison.

This game will be the Big East opener for both teams, and is the first conference game for new Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood, who replaced Greg Schiano after he left to take the head coaching job for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I can already say this -- nothing good will come from the USF-Rutgers game this season. Not after USF announced that the game originally scheduled for September 15 has been pushed up, and is now a Thursday night game set for September 13 set for 7:30 PM so ESPN can broadcast it.

I don't know who thought it would be a great idea to give USF an extremely short week to prepare for a coach they've never seen before in conference play. (Note from Jamie: MARINATTO) Add in the fact that the Bulls will have to make a cross-country trip after their game against Nevada, in the wrong direction, taking away even more valuable time from their preparation.

Oh, and USF is horrible on Thursday night and horrible against Rutgers. This doesn't look good at all for the Bulls On the bright side, we don't have to hear Craig James talk for three-plus hours. So at least we have that going for us. Which is nice.

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It's official. The Washington Redskins will select Baylor QB Robert Griffin III tonight with the 2nd pick in the NFL Draft. Redskins GM Bruce Allen appeared on the NFL Network's 2012 NFL Draft Kickoff Show and talked about the process of moving up to the 2nd pick and why he's excited to bring Griffin to the nation's capital.

[W]e think that Robert fits our offense to a tee. We’re excited about being able to complement him with what we’ve already been able to do with some of his special talents. Obviously his charisma is going to be embraced by the Redskins Nation.

Washington has been searching for a franchise quarterback for the better part of the last two decades, and Redskins management believe RG3 will be the person to fill that role.

Quotes via Pro Football Talk.

For more news and analysis on the Washington Redskins, make sure to visit Hogs Haven and SB Nation DC. For all the latest on the 2012 NFL Draft, please stop by Mocking the Draft. Still not enough football for you? The SB Nation NFL Hub Page has all the latest on all 32 teams around the National Football League.

It was expected over the last two weeks, but USF officially announced that Notre Dame DE Aaron Lynch will transfer and attend USF this summer. The 6'6" 270 lb Lynch led the Fighting Irish in sacks last year with 5.5 and added 33 tackles and 7 TFL as he grabbed Freshman All-American Honors from Phil Steele and the FWAA.

Lynch will be an immediate impact player for us when he becomes eligible in 2013, joining what could be the best group of DE in the country with Ryne Giddins, Julius Forte, and Tevin Mims. Add in Elkino Watson, Luke Sager, James Hamilton and friends at tackle and the Bulls will be able to dominate the LOS without having to use an extra defender.

Lynch will have three years of eligibility remaining in 2013, but I doubt he's here when 2015 rolls around. Lynch is the type of player who will make a Jason Pierre-Paul type of impact for a year or two at the most before leaving early and being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

So...who's excited?

For those hoping we would have four years of the Sam Cassell Dance, you will be a bit disappointed. At the Capitol Classic this weekend, Sam Cassell Jr. recommitted to Maryland over USF. This wasn't that big of a surprise considering his intent to declare with four other Maryland commitments at the same event, but he would have been a solid pickup this late in the recruiting calendar.

Now with Cassell Jr. going elsewhere and Blake Nash transferring, the Bulls still have two scholarships available. One possible option is Florida Atlantic forward Kore White, who visited USF with Cassell Jr. and went to LaSalle this past weekend. White would be able to play immediately as a graduate transfer and would give Coach Heath some experienced depth at either forward spot.

For the purpose of this exercise, let's just assume that Heath is unable to sign anyone else and carries over two scholarships. Next year's roster would look something like this:

PG: Anthony Collins, Musa Abdul-Aleem

SG: Jawanza Poland, Martino Brock, Abdul-Aleem, Shaun Noriega

SF: Victor Rudd, JaVonte Hawkins

PF: Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, Zach LeDay

C: Waverly Austin, Jordan Omogbehin

While the roster is talented, there are some depth concerns at point guard and in the frontcourt. AC will be taking 30-35 minutes a night at the point, but if he gets hurt or Musa isn't 100% from the stress fracture in his foot, we are in big trouble.

While Heath has said that Victor Rudd will play more at the 4 this year, it still leaves us with Toarlyn Fitzpatrick as our only experienced post player coming into next year. Waverly Austin should fit in just fine, but we will be depending on two freshmen in Zach LeDay and Jordan Omogbehin, who is still recovering from knee surgery.

While it'll be hard for Stan will be able to find a point guard that can contribute this late, White would be a solid option as your 3rd or 4th post if he transfers. He won't be a 10-5 type of guy, but Kore will give you 10-15 minutes without being too much of a liability on either end of the court.

We will keep you guys updated with White and any other recruit that pops up this signing period.

USF on national TV? Why yes we will do a gamethread for today's doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4 PM. If you haven't seen Sara Nevins, who is a boss yet, now is the time to do so.

Game is on ESPNU.

GO BULLS!

The rumors have been swirling for the last week or so, but PG Blake Nash reported on his Twitter feed that he will transfer from USF this summer. Nash played in 34 games this year, starting three of them. In 12 minutes of action a game, Blake averaged 3.4 points on 38% shooting, 1.1 assists, and .8 rebounds a game.

Blake started the year alternating between point guard and off guard, but was forced to be Anthony Collins' sole backup after LaVonte Dority transferred mid-year. While his minutes decreased after the move, Nash still had his moments with his reduced minutes, most notably his 12 point, 6 assist, 4 rebound effort against Villanova in January.

Coach Heath now has 2 scholarships to use for the 2012 class. Heath had Baltimore guard Sam Cassell Jr. and FAU graduate transfer Kore White in for an official visit last weekend.

We wish Blake the best of luck wherever he lands. He will have 1 year of eligibility left if he transfers to a Division 1 school unless he earns a hardship waiver to play immediately next year.

While their almost month long winning streak is over, the USF softball team held their ground in this week's softball polls. The Bulls actually jumped up a spot to #17 in this week's USA Today/NFCA Softball Poll, jumping over Texas A&M. In this week's ESPN/USA Softball poll, the Bulls dropped one spot, also to #17.

While we've really only talked about Ken Eriksen's team this spring, Lelo Prado and the baseball team are quietly putting in a solid season themselves. The Bulls currently sit atop of the Big East standings at 26-12 and 10-2 in conference. National writers have also started to pay attention, with the Bulls grabbing 4 points in this week's USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll. I honestly can't remember the last time the baseball team even received votes, so this is a big step in the right direction for the program.

Both teams have big tests this week. The softball team will take on #11 Louisville tonight in a nationally televised doubleheader starting at 4 PM. The Bulls will most likely face current Sara Nevins Big East Pitcher of the Week Award recipient Tori Collins. This will the Bulls biggest remaining test for the regular season, and if the softball team can at least take a split, it will give them a nice RPI boost, which currently sits at #19.

Come back around first pitch for a softball open thread. Yes, this afternoon is going to be a big deal.

USF might be in line for a big name transfer as freshman Notre Dame DE Aaron Lynch has been granted a release to talk with USF. Josh Newberg from Bulls247 was the first to break the news about Lynch ($$ link), who is trying to move closer to his Fort Myers home.

The 6'6" 270 lb Lynch started 6 games last year for the Fighting Irish, racking up 33 tackles, 7 of them for a loss, 5.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

While USF was the first to offer Lynch, Aaron never considered the Bulls and chose the Fighting Irish over Florida State, Florida, and almost every other BCS program in the country.

If Lynch was to transfer to USF, it was be a huge get for Coach Holtz and the football team. Lynch was ranked a 5-star recruit by 247 (6th overall) and Scout (10th overall), and a 4-star recruit by Rivals (28th overall), and would jump into the starting lineup once declared eligible.

More importantly, Lynch could be the type of high profile player that could sway some of the top talent in the Tampa Bay area to take a closer look at USF. Skip has talked about building a wall and keeping the top local talent at home since arriving at USF, but most of the higher ranked players still leave and go elsewhere. Its not a guarantee that he would be the tipping point, but it would be a big start.

Keep checking back with updates on Lynch as we find them.

After sweeping St. John's over the weekend, the USF Softball team continued their slow move up the polls. USF is now in sole place of the 18th position in the USA Today/NFCA Division I poll after holding the position with Oregon last week, while the Bulls moved up two spots to #16 in this week's ESPN/USA Softball poll.

While they moved up in the human polls, USF dropped two spots in this week's RPI, going from 16th to 18th this week. With USF facing some of the lower teams in the conference, their strength of schedule was sure to take a hit. This week will be no different with the Bulls taking on Providence (184 RPI) and Connecticut (83 RPI). As long as the Bulls keep winning though, the Bulls will still have a chance of hosting an NCAA Regional.

In news that surprised no one, Sara Nevins, who is a boss, once again won the Sara Nevins Big East Pitcher of the Week Award. Nevins won three games this week, and was one out away from her 4th no hitter of the year Saturday against the Red Storm. This is Nevins' 5th straight SNBEPOTW award and her 6th award overall. At this point we are running out of adjectives to describe her awesomeness. Leave some suggestions in the comments.

With USF holding onto one and possibly two scholarships in the Class of 2012, Stan Heath will have former Maryland commit Sam Cassell Jr. come in for an official visit this weekend.

The 6'3" combo guard out of Baltimore reportedly committed to the Terrapins last week, but his father Sam Sr. quickly denied those claims.

USF is in need of another point guard, with Anthony Collins and Blake Nash as the only two ball handlers on the roster. If you're wondering why we'd like Cassell Jr. the roster, let Ben Broman from our sister site Testudo Times tell you, (link is above.)

If you identified three main needs for the Terrapins, it'd probably be someone who can play the point, an outside shooter, and a secondary perimeter scorer. And more than anyone else on the board, Cassell fills all three needs.

USF is also in need of all those things, plus his size would allow Stan to use two ball handlers against high pressure teams without giving up much size on the wing. In the highlight film below, you'll see his ability to shoot from anywhere, and it looks like he has his dad's stepback jumper down without a problem.

The Bulls are in a great position as they are the first team to get an OV after Cassell's decommitment. With visits to FSU and Villanova on tap, the Bulls will be able to show off the new facilities and possible playing time with a team that is primed for another quality season next year.

And if you don't think we will bring this gif out 100,000 times if he comes to USF, you really don't know us all that well.

via gifsoup.com

We have some Cassell Jr. highlights after the jump. We'll have more for you after his visit this weekend.

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The USF Softball team continues their slow trek up the polls, moving up 3 spots to #18 in both the ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate and USA Today/NFCA Polls. With a victory over then #4 Florida midweek to go with a 3 game sweep over the Fighting Cheesebrews of Pitt, USF has seen its winning streak to 13 games now. At 33-5 overall, Ken Eriksen's club is by far of to the best start of the season in school history.

If the Bulls can keep up this pace (and barring a total collapse it seems very likely.), USF can build a strong case to host a regional when its comes to selection time. The Bulls have a solid RPI at 16, and boasts wins over teams like Florida, Florida State, and Michigan. There aren't many opportunities to bolster their resume (upcoming series against Louisville and Syracuse will be the only challenges.), but a possible 50 win team will be very hard to pass over.

In other less shocking news, Sara Nevins, who is a boss, has won the Sara Nevins Memorial Big East Pitcher of the Week Award for the 4th straight week. Nevins won all three games she started, including her 3rd no hitter of the season against Pitt on Friday. At this rate, they might as well send down the Big East Pitcher of the Year award. Sara will have a chance to pad her stats when the Bulls go up against a pretty mediocre St. John's team this weekend at home starting on Friday.

Good Monday morning Bulls fans! We hope you guys enjoyed all the great stupid April Fool's Jokes out there (except 8-bit Google Maps. That was awesome.). Here are your links to get you through your day.

1. WALK-ONS! GET YOUR WALK-ONS! Greg has some good information on our newest group of walk-ons. Really disappointed in long snapper Archibald Ryan wanting to be recognized as A.J. Ryan. He was a contender for the 20 year All-Name team.

2. Sara Nevins gave up 2 runs (GASP!), but the Softball team took care of the Fighting Cheesebrews of Pitt 3-2 thanks to a Stephanie Medina RBI double in the 6th. Nevins, who is a boss, picked up her 19th win, but her ERA skyrocketed to 0.56. She'll just have to throw a no hitter this weekend against St. John's.

3. Baseball took two out of three against Notre Dame following the Bulls 6-4 victory at the New Red yesterday. James Ramsay produced the game winning RBI in the 7th. Derrick Stultz got the victory after giving up 3 runs in 7 innings of action. I'm still a little wary, but its good to see them off to a solid start in conference play.

4. USF had Riverview's Michael Babinec signed a LOI for the Cross Country team. The All-State runner chose USF over offers from Tampa and Florida Southern.

5. Forgot to mention this the other day, but Mark Ennis from out sister site Big East Coast Bias went on the Solid Verbal Podcast to talk Big East football. Definitely worth a listen if you haven't done so already.

With USF's memorable 2011-12 behind us, we will take a look at the 4 (maybe 5) member Class of 2012. Let's first meet with Stan Heath's first verbal commitment, Georgia Perimeter College wing Musa Abdul-Aleem.

After being named the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Freshman of the Year, big things were expected for Abdul-Aleem this season. Unfortunately the 6'5" Abdul-Aleem would not be able to match the 14 points and 5 rebounds he averaged for the Jaguars last year. Musa was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot in November, and after careful consideration thought it was best to redshirt this season.

While he couldn't play this season, its actually good news for USF fans. Abdul-Aleem was originally set to only have 2 years of eligibility with USF, but like Jawanza Poland and Blake Nash, Musa will now have three years to play while in Tampa.

It was frustrating for Musa to sit out this season, but he knows that bigger things await him,

"It’s obviously a better move for me to have three years at South Florida and to get healthy. I’m not in a rush, I’m not pressured to get healthy, I’m pressured to perform at a level people expect me to perform at."

Musa will compete with South Alabama transfer Martino Brock, Jawanza Poland, Shaun Noriega, and JaVontae Hawkins for Hugh Robertson and possibly Victor Rudd's vacated minutes on the wing. This should be one of the better position battles to watch next season.