Unexpected Group of Five program in top 15 of transfer portal rankings despite coach exit

A Florida football program maintains a top 15 transfer portal ranking after hiring a new coach from the Big Ten.

Despite losing their head coach to the SEC, this Group of Five college football program is positioned well in the transfer portal rankings with 11 commitments. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A specific football program in the Sunshine State is currently defying the traditional logic of the collegiate coaching cycle. While most teams experience a roster collapse following the loss of a successful leader, this Group of Five contender has surprisingly fortified its future and currently sits within the top 15 of the national transfer portal team rankings.

This momentum follows a remarkable campaign where the team finished with a 9-3 record and one of the most explosive offenses in the country. The former architect of that success recently accepted a prestigious role in the Southeastern Conference after only three seasons on the job, and his departure initially created fears that the program's rapid ascent would be halted by the typical pitfalls of a leadership transition.

Those concerns deepened when the starting quarterback decided to follow his former coach to the new Power Four destination.

Despite the loss of its most visible on-field talent and its primary recruiter, the school has remained aggressive in the talent market as a new era begins, with a high-profile Big Ten hire already leveraging his reputation to attract former blue-chip prospects.

South Florida football transfer portal rankings under Brian Hartline

The South Florida Bulls currently hold the No. 15 spot in the 247Sports transfer portal team rankings with 11 commitments, and this impressive standing comes as the program navigates a significant transition following the departure of Alex Golesh.

Golesh accepted a six-year deal to become the head coach at Auburn after leading the Bulls to nine wins and orchestrating a massive turnaround for a team that had previously struggled.

After a seven-year NFL career, Brian Hartline joined the Ohio State Buckeyes staff, eventually ascending to be the powerhouse's offensive coordinator and WR coach in 2023. In December, he accepted the head coaching position at USF. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

South Florida athletic director Rob Higgins moved quickly to secure Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline as the next leader of the Bulls, stating that Hartline was the primary target to guide the program during this pivotal expansion.

Hartline is a former NFL standout who previously developed several first-round picks for the Buckeyes, and his hire signals a major investment as the program prepares for a new on-campus stadium in 2027.

After several seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, linebacker C.J. Hicks, a former five-star recruit, decided to join Brian Hartline and the USF Bulls. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The roster transition has seen several high-profile departures, as several former Bulls players have chosen to join Golesh at Auburn, including starting quarterback Byrum Brown and safety Fred Gaskin III. Gaskin was a standout on defense and earned first-team All-AAC honors, but Hartline has already begun using his Big Ten connections to attract top athletes to Tampa.

Former Ohio State linebacker C.J. Hicks announced he would follow Hartline to South Florida for his final season of eligibility, and the former five-star prospect still possesses significant athletic potential. Some of USF's other top incoming transfers include linebacker Grayson Howard (Florida), cornerback Teddy Foster (Florida), cornerback A'mon Lane-Ganus (Auburn), and offensive tackle Ethan Green (Cincinnati).