This is Todd Orlando’s first season as Defensive Coordinator.
Courtesy of Vanessa Wenzl
By Vanessa Wenzl
With spring football practices underway, defensive coordinator Todd Orlando spoke on the University of South Florida’s priorities, with team bonding at the forefront.
This will be Orlando’s first season with USF after leaving Florida Atlantic University in December 2022.
“We gotta clean up the simplest things of staying low, taking proper angles to the football, playing better in space and all those things accumulate into how we can get better,” Orlando said.
Orlando’s main goal is to work on the players becoming closer to each other.
“If we can continue to grow and bond together, where somebody really feels remorse when they don’t do their job, I think we’ll get better,” he said. “We’ve got some experience and when you have experience, you have a chance to get a little bit better.”
In the past 4 seasons, the Bulls have struggled defensively, achieving only 8 wins from 2019 to 2022.
Senior defensive end Jason Vaughn disagrees.
“I wouldn’t say we struggled but we are challenged in a more demanding way then the past and guys are really accepting it and embracing the challenge,” Vaughn said.
Some of the players are excited to go into the spring game with energy.
“It doesn’t feel like a 9-5, it feels like we are here to play football,” Vaughn said.
Lloyd Summerall, a University of Florida junior defensive end transfer, feels the energy the coaches bring as well by the mindset he feels the team has since his transfer to USF.
“I feel like we have a great mindset too, you know everyone is working to get better,” said Summerall. “We’re all leaning on each other.”
Mindset and culture are important in any team sport or working environment. Players are hopeful and excited for this upcoming season after the new coaching staff hires.
“The talent that’s down here, and I have said this before, draw a three-hour radius around this place and we can keep the best ball players from going someplace else, the sky’s the limit here,” said Orlando. “It’s got the attraction that you need to win a championship.”
The spring game will take place at 7 p.m., Friday April 14 at Corbett Stadium in Tampa.
