TAMPA, Fla. – The hope, of course, is that Byrum Brown has a healthy and productive season. Regardless, the guys behind him in the quarterback room need to be sharp in case one or more is needed for an extended period.
“The reality is that you are one play away from being the next man up,” said offensive coordinator Joel Gordon.
Heading into Saturday evening’s (7 p.m./ESPN+) opener against Bethune-Cookman at Raymond James Stadium, junior Bryce Archie and sophomore Israel ‘Izzy’ Carter are the next men up. The depth chart released earlier this week lists Archie OR Carter behind Brown. This is no surprise given coach Alex Golesh praised the work each of the backup quarterbacks put in during preseason camp, especially those two.
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“Bryce, today, is the best version of himself,” said the second-year coach, who recruited Archie as an assistant at UCF in 2020. “He has got his body right, he had a really, really good summer. Mentally, he is in the best place he has been. (His footwork in creating plays) is the best I have seen. It has been very fun to watch his growth.”
Instead of going to UCF, the 6-foot-3 and 215-pound Archie went to Coastal Carolina where he spent one season (two games, completed his lone pass attempt) before transferring to USF in spring 2023. The Georgia native, a two-sport athlete who pitches for the Bulls, was 7-for-15 for 53 yards in seven games last year.
Carter got into three games with the Bulls last season, attempting his only pass (incomplete) against Temple and was on the receiving end of a seven-yard pass from Brown at Memphis. The 6-foot-1 and 190-pound California native is an impressive runner who received a few offers from former Pac-12 schools.
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“Izzy continues to take steps,” said Golesh. “He is continuing to grow in the offense. I am very proud of his growth.”
Freshman Marcelis Tate, sophomore and FAU transfer Luke Rucker, and grad Ryan Bolduc, who has served as a holder for placekicker John Cannon, fill out the room. Neither has a career pass attempt.
Gordon has spoken highly of how Archie and Carter have smoothed rough edges common of not having much in the way of gameday reps.
“When you talk about Bryce and you talk about Izzy, the mistakes of a year ago were probably more a function of not having a ton of experience in operating this offense and how it works,” he said. “A year later, you are not talking about making the same type of mistakes. Understanding how to operate the offense has become normal for them.”
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