Bulls sign 16 in Golesh's first recruiting class 

TAMPA, Fla. - Just 17 days after taking the helm of the South Florida football program, Alex Golesh signed his first recruits as head coach of the Bulls, as the early signing period started Wednesday. 

"I equated it to speed dating," said Golesh. "I've never been speed dating but what I would imagine speed dating to be like, where you're going really fast." 

By day's end, Golesh and the Bulls signed 16 new recruits, 12 from the high school and junior college ranks and four transfers out of the portal. 

"I think the biggest thing I made an emphasis on was that there is no panic," Golesh said. "There is no ceiling on how many guys we actually needed." 

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Even with just 17 days to put this recruiting class together, Golesh stressed that he wanted quality players over quantity. 

Coach Golesh speaks on first signing day as USF Bulls head coach

"I've been really, really cautious about who we've gone after because the quality of player, and quality of young man it is, has been critically important," he said. 

And, on paper, the Bulls got quality in the form of two former four-star recruits from Lakeland High School. 

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Once teammates in Lakeland, Kendall Dennis (CB Oklahoma) and Llyod Summerall (DE Florida), will return to the Tampa Bay area as highlights of Golesh's first signing day class. 

"We're going to continue to build it, half through the portal and half of it through the young high school guys we can develop," Golesh said. 

USF Bulls football - players on practice field

One thing is certain: the number of stars an athlete has doesn't matter to the Bulls' new head coach. 

"I have no idea what the stars were," he said. "I think every single guy we were able to sign today fits what we're trying to do." 

The early signing period runs through Friday. After that, high school seniors and college transfers will have to wait until February 1 to sign their letters of intent.