South Florida Bulls 2025 Roster Breakdown
Complete breakdown of South Florida Bulls' massive roster overhaul under new coach Bryan Hodgson, featuring a deep guard rotation with AAC contender potential.
The South Florida Bulls were one of the fastest rising teams in college basketball just two seasons ago. After a four-year skid of sub-optimal results, the Bulls hired one of the next great coaches Amir Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim took a Kennesaw State team out of the cellar of college basketball. In year one, the Owls finished 1-28. Within four years, they finished the season 26-9, won the Atlantic Sun Title and headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Now, Antoine Pettway has taken over the reigns for Kennesaw State and he’s kept the ship moving. Abdur-Rahim left an everlasting mark on that program.
Once at South Florida, he wasted no time constructing a solid roster. In year one, the Bulls finished 25-8 in the 2023-2024 season. They reached #24 in the AP Poll for the first time in school history. It looked like he’d be able to lead this program to the the NCAA Tournament for at least the fourth time in program history during his tenure with the Bulls…then tragedy struck.
On October 24th, 2024 Amir Abdur-Rahim tragically passed away at just 43 years old during surgery. He left behind not only a remarkable legacy, but one that was cut far too short. A coach that was not only loved by his players, but the fans of both Kennesaw State and South Florida and the world of college basketball.
Following the tragedy, Ben Fletcher took over as interim head coach. The Bulls fought through adversity and while they finished just 13-19 and 6-12 the AAC all of the players and the coaching staff should be proud of themselves. Going through what they did just days before the season started is something that could crush a program, but they held their heads up high and pushed through.
Now, South Florida has made what I would call one of the best hires of the season. Bryan Hodgson was named the new head coach of the South Florida Bulls after leading the Arkansas State Red Wolves to a 45-28 record in two seasons. Prior to hiring Hodgson, the Red Wolves hadn’t won 20 games since the 2016-2017 season and he did so both seasons. Last year, they finished 25-11 and 13-5 in the Sun Belt while pushing through their hardest strength of schedule since 1991.
Hodgson has wasted no time assembling what appears to be on paper, a South Florida team that looks like they should be competing at the top of the AAC this season. He’s doing so differently and he’s breaking trends among many college basketball coaches. Let’s dive in.
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Roster Turnover
South Florida has lost the following players:
Corey Walker, JR (Ineligible)
1.8 points, 1.7 rebounds (10 games/6.6 minutes)
Jamille Reynolds (Ineligible)
12.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Quincy Ademokoya (Senior)
6.2 points, 2.3 rebounds
Brandon Stroud (Senior)
8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.6 steals
MaTaJ Glover (Sophomore)
DNP
Nic Smith (Junior)
DNP
Daniel Tobiloba (Junior)
0.7 points, 1.8 rebounds (9 games/5 minutes)
Kameren Wright (Sophomore)
2.7 points, 2.9 rebounds (7 games/11.7 minutes)
Jaylen Wharton (Senior)
DNP
Jimmie Williams (Junior)
7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals
Kasen Jennings (Senior)
7.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Kobe Knox (Senior)
10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals
Jayden Reid (Junior)
12.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals
After South Florida hired Bryan Hodgson out of Arkansas State, it was evident that there would be a lot of roster turnover. I do want to take a moment and shout out each one of these players. They fought through adversity last season that many could not dream up. While they finished just 13-19, maintaining a fighting spirit through the tragic loss of Coach Abdur-Rahim.
Returning Players
The Bulls are returning the following two players:
De’Ante Green (Senior)
6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds
C.J. Brown (Sophomore)
7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals
Well, the Bulls aren’t returning a ton from last season. Given there was a unique scenario where the unexpected coaching change occurred, it was to be expected that there would be a lot of turnover. However, Bryan Hodgson was able to retain a couple of strong players.
De’Ante Green is a 6’9 forward who spent his first two seasons with Florida State. Following his sophomore season where he started in 20 games for the Seminoles, he transferred into South Florida. Last season, he appeared in 21 games and started four while shooting 51% overall and 25% from beyond the arc (just twelve attempts). From inside the arc, he shot 51.9%. While he’s not a prolific offensive threat, Green is a monster on the boards. He finished the season with a 21.1% defensive rebounding percentage and a 10.2% offensive rebounding percentage. He also finished with a 3.9% block rate.
C.J. Brown is a 6’2 point guard who while be a key contributor this season for South Florida. As a freshman last season, he starting in 23 of his 31 games while shooting 45.5% overall and 25.8% from deep on 31 attempts. While he’s not yet a three-point threat, he shot 49.6% from inside the arc, which jumped to 50.5% in conference play. Where he shines is his playmaking and on-ball defense. He finished the season with a 20.4% assist rate which was 396th in the country. On defensive, he finished with a 3.1% steal rate which was 248th in college basketball. In the AAC both jumped to 23.6% on the assist rate and 3.3% on the steal percentage. If he can add a three-point shot to his arsenal, Brown is going to be a tremendous player for the Bulls.
Roster Additions
The Bulls have added the following players to their roster next season:
Daimion Collins (Senior) - LSU
8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Xavier Brown (Senior) - James Madison
10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals
Joseph Pinion (Senior) - Arkansas State
12 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals
Devin Haid (Senior) - Central Connecticut State
14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals
Josh Omojafo (Senior) - Robert Morris
11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Isaiah Jones (Senior) - Oakland
6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals
Izaiyah Nelson (Senior) - Arkansas State
10.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Wes Enis (Junior) - Lincoln Memorial (JUCO)
20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals
Adriel Nyorha (Freshman)
Gavin Hightower (Freshman)
Tristan Beckford (Freshman)
Caleb Sanders (Freshman)
Onyx Nnani (Freshman)
Guards
Xavier Brown (6’2)
After spending the last three years at James Madison, Brown entered the portal and decided to spend his senior season at South Florida. He shot 37.8% overall and 34.5% from beyond the arc on 5.4 attempts per game last season. Brown shines as a playmaker. He finished the season with an 18.1% assist rate to just an 11.4% turnover rate which was 290th in college basketball. He’s also a prolific on-ball defender as he finished with a 2.9% steal percentage and racked up three or more steals in seven of his 32 games.
Offensively, he can be a bit inconsistent which contributed to his somewhat low shooting percentages. When he’s on though, he can score in bunches. Through the first seven games of the season, he was averaging over 15 points per game. In conference, he shot 41.8% from within the arc and 30.8% from outside. He’s more of a slasher when it comes to scoring, but he can knock down some threes if he needs to.
Joseph Pinion (6’5)
After spending his first two seasons at Arkansas, Pinion transferred into Arkansas State with Hodgson where he took off in his expanded role. He shot 42.9% from the floor and 36% from three-point on 6.6 attempts per game. He finished with a remarkable 123.1 offensive rating which was 138th in division one and in conference he finished 7th in the Sun Belt. Across the board, he was prolific. His 59.3% shooting percentage from inside the arc was 276th in the country, he finished with just an 11% turnover rate which was 254th, a 2.9% blocking percentage which was 487th, and a 2.6% steal percentage which was 477th. Pinion is truly just a do-it-all type player.
Pinion is going to be a starting wing for the Bulls this season and I believe he’ll be able to soar. He’s a strong shooter on the catch-and-shoot, so with some strong point guard play he’ll have ample opportunities to score. He’s not much of a playmaker or shot creator for himself, but he doesn’t have to be in this offense.
Devin Haid (6’5)
Following a couple of seasons in the JUCO ranks, Haid made the jump to Division I where he joined the Central Connecticut State. He was nothing short of incredible where he shot 49.3% overall and 31.8% from three point while being a monster on the boards and on defense. The Blue Devils were 25-7 and 14-2 in the NEC where they looked like they were going to break the 16-seed slump for the conference and a big reason for that was Haid.
From inside the arc, he shot 59.8% which was 253rd in the country. His 18.4% defensive rebounding percentage was 355th, while he isn’t as strong on offensive boards he still averaged 1.1 per game. He’s very strong with his on-ball defense where he averaged 1.6 steals per game and finished the season with a 3.1% steal percentage.
Josh Omojafo (6’5)
Robert Morris had an incredible run last season, including giving Alabama a scare in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. A large piece of the puzzle for the Colonials was Josh Omojafo. After coming out of the JUCO ranks, he shot 44.3% from the floor and 38.4% from beyond the arc on 2.1 attempts per game. In the Horizon League tournament, he averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He was streaky at time throughout the season, but he was clutch both in non-conference and down the stretch at the end of the season. In conference, he shot 49.4% from inside the arc and 41.9% from three-point.
One thing he does particularly well is get to the line. He drew 4.7 fouls on average which was 304th in the country. His 59.1% free throw rate was the 61st best in the nation and his 82.2% free throw percentage was 243rd. Omojafo is a strong finisher inside and he’s extremely athletic with a load of experience winning and now experience on the largest stage. He’s a perfect addition for the Bulls.
Wes Enis (6’2)
Wes Enis was absolutely dominating at Lincoln Memorial last season. He averaged 20.1 points while shooting 44.9% overall and 41.1% from beyond the arc. The Railsplitters finished the season 25-6 overall and 21-3 in conference, so Enis was the best player on one of the top D2 teams in the country last season. Per The Portal Report, he ranked as the fifth best Division II transfer this offseason. He was receiving interest from a number of power conference schools including NC State, Iowa, Minnesota, and West Virginia.
At 6’2, he averaged 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He’ll line up as an excellent point guard option, but I’d like to see him cut down on the turnovers. He averaged 2.1 per game. I’d prefer to see that closer to a 2:1 ratio. However, teaming up with Xavier Brown to run the offense for the Bulls next season while offering prolific scoring abilities…South Florida is looking good offensively.
Tristan Beckford (6’5)
The 6’5 freshman is a huge recruit for South Florida. Coming out of high school, he was listed as the 116th top prospect in the nation. Per 247 Sports, Beckford is listed as a four-star and he held offers from Mississippi State, Arizona State, Oregon, Seton Hall, Iowa, Boise State, and others.
I’m attaching his highlights from the FIBA U19 World Cup where he participated for team Canada…wow does he have some athleticism. Throughout the World Cup, he averaged 11 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. From the floor, he shot 43.1% overall and 31% from beyond the arc on 4.1 attempts per game. Finding a freshman that will contribute in his first season in this new NIL era of college basketball is a rarity, but I don’t know how you could hold Beckford back if you’re the Bulls.
Caleb Sanders (6’6)
Sanders is another strong recruit coming in from high school as he was ranked the 146th best recruit in his class. He was listed as a three-star recruit and held offers from Mississippi State, Florida State, California, High Point, and several other strong teams. Some had him listed as a four-star, but he originally committed to Louisiana before reopening his commitment.
Similar to Beckford, he’s a strong athlete and a prolific finisher at the rim. I like his three-point shot, but he bodes well as a slasher. He isn’t afraid to get his teammates involved either, which at a young age is an encouraging sign. He seems to be the type of player that doesn’t give up on plays and fights through traffic to be disruptive on the defensive end.
Adriel Nyorha (6’5)
Listed as a top-300 recruit and a three-star recruit, Nyorha slots in as a 6’5 guard. He held offers from DePaul, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Saint Louis, Rhode Island, George Mason, and more. He’s a bit more of a raw prospect than some of the other incoming freshman, however, he’s a lot to like. He’s confident, he can slash to the paint, and he can distribute the ball while creating opportunities for others.
Nyorha also played on team Canada with his fellow freshman Tristan Beckford in the FIBA U19 World Cup. He averaged eight points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists while shooting 33.3% overall and 23.5% from three-point. While the assist average is impressive, he also averaged four turnovers per game. If he can hone in on both improving his shot percentage and cutting down on the turnovers and he’ll be an elite point guard with nice size.
Gavin Hightower (6’1)
Hightower is yet another strong recruit coming out of high school. He’s listed as a three-star per 247 Sports and a four-star per ESPN. 247 has him listed as the 165th best recruit. He held offers from Washington State, New Mexico, California, High Point, and other strong non-power conference programs. Fun fact, he was playing with Lebron James’ song Bryce James at Sierra Canyon this past season! As a result of this, it’s virtually impossible to find footage of just him from recent games. However, Sierra Canyon won the state title and Hightower led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds. In the semifinals, he dropped 25 points. He’s a 6’1 point guard that has a natural ability to score and he’ll be a solid prospect that could break the rotation in year one.
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Forwards
Isaiah Jones (6’7)
Jones spent his freshman season with Detroit Mercy before transferring to Oakland from the last two seasons. Last year, he started in 25 games while shooting 44.1% overall and 32.7% from beyond the arc on 1.8 attempts per game. He’s a strong rebounder as he averaged two offensive rebounds per game. His 9.3% offensive rebounding percentage was 311th in the country. On defense, his 3.1% steal percentage was 217thin the country. I’m excited to see what he can do for the Bulls this season because I like his shot a lot. He has never been a high volume shooter, but this team overall lacks height. I think he’ll have a good chance to take on an important role this season.
Daimion Collins (6’9)
Collins has spent four seasons in the SEC. He played his first two years at Kentucky where he appeared in 52 games and started in two. He transferred to LSU where he appeared in six games before going down with an injury. Last year, he appeared in 30 games, starting in 22 for the Tigers while shooting 58.1% overall and 20.6% from three-point on 1.1 attempts per game. While he’s not a threat from outside, he is a prolific finisher in the paint where he shot 67.7%.
At 6’9, he’s got experience playing in one of best conferences in college basketball while providing the Bulls with much needed height. He finished the season with a 7.7% block percentage which was 51st in the country and his 6.8% in conference was the sixth best in the SEC. He also cleans up the boards as he finished the season with a 10.7% offensive rebounding percentage which was 203rd in the nation.
Izaiyah Nelson (6’10)
Nelson spent his first three seasons with Arkansas State underneath Hodgson where he has played in important role since his freshman season. He shot 58.6% from the floor last season while just 6.7% from three-point on just 15 attempts. He’s a monster on defense as he averaged 8.9 rebounds (3.2 of which were offensive!). Over the last nine games of the season, he averaged 2.2 blocks per game and he finished the season with a remarkable 5.7% blocking percentage. That jumped to 6.3% in conference.
On offense, he is an incredible scorer in the paint. He shot 64.3% in the Sun Belt which led the conference. His 127.2 offensive rating was 3rd best in the Sun Belt, while his 127 rating on the season was 60th in the country. He’ll be the starting center for the Bulls and the AAC is going to have to watch out for one of the toughest newcomers to the conference.
Onyx Nnani (6’9)
Nnani is another freshman incoming for the Bulls, bringing their total up to five first-year players. A rarity for teams at this level of college basketball. He’s listed as a four-star recruit according to 247 Sports and 207th out of his class. He is…yep you guessed it…a Canadian prospect. Making that the third of the five freshman. In the FIBA U19 World Cup, he averaged 7.7 points, five rebounds, and 1.1 assists. He shot 50% overall and 31.3% from three-point on 16 attempts. He shot just 50% from the line, so there’s some work needed there. However, he rarely took a bad shot and he took great care of the ball as he averaged just one turnover per game. Coming out of high school, he held offers from Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Oregon, and many other strong programs before committing to Arkansas State and following coach Hodgson over to South Florida.
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Expectations
This South Florida Bulls team is deep. There’s a plethora of guards that all look like they are going to be competing for minutes in the rotation. While their isn’t a ton of depth with height, they have some key players that as long as there are no injuries will lock down the paint this seasons. Let’s take a look at what a potential starting lineup looks like:
Xavier Brown
Devin Haid/Josh Omojafo
Joseph Pinion
Daimion Collins
Izaiyah Nelson
This is probably the hardest projected starting lineup that I’ve put together this offseason. Three positions are locked in as you’ll want Xavier Brown starting as your point guard, then Daimion Collins and Izaiyah Nelson locking down the four and five spots. You could argue that De’Ante Green will be in contention for a starting spot and I would agree with that. I lean towards Collins at the four spot considering his experience and production in the SEC. Where it gets interesting is what do you do at the shooting guard and small forward position?
Some might suggest slotting Isaiah Jones into the small forward position, however, I think they are better off bringing him off the bench. The Bulls don’t have a lot of depth with height. Jones is 6’8, so you already have Collins at 6’9 and Nelson at 6’10 in the starting lineup. Both can’t play every minute of the game, so when they are out you can slot Jones in and then run with a smaller lineup because Hodgson has so many guard options. You still have De’Ante Green as well, so you can have Green play a slightly undersized center while you have Jones as a power forward in the secondary unit. Plus, you have Onyx Nnani who lists as 6’9 so as a freshman you should expect to see him earn some minutes considering there are just five players that at 6’8 or taller.
At the shooting guard and small forward positions, I’d personally go with either Devin Haid or Josh Omojafo then Joseph Pinion. I would want Wes Enis and CJ Brown coming off the bench to back-up Xavier Brown at Point Guard. You honestly can’t go wrong with either Haid or Omojafo. Pinion already played a key role for Hodgson last season at Arkansas State and he shot 42.9% overall and 36% from beyond the arc. Partnering him up as a wing who can grab boards while Brown leads the offense at point.
You can’t count out the freshman either. I believe that Tristan Beckford is the most ready out of the group of five, so fully expect to see him earn a solid role in the rotation of guards. As mentioned previously, Nnani has a great chance to earn minutes due to the lack of height. Of the guards, look for Caleb Sanders to earn a role as well.
Their entire schedule hasn’t been announced, however, they have Florida A&M, George Washington, Coppin State, Kennesaw State, Oklahoma State, Georgia College & State, the Battle for Atlantis, Utah State, College of Charleston, Alabama, and UMBC. You’ll want to assume that you have wins against Florida A&M, Coppin State, Georgia College & State, and UMBC. That’s four wins, then you have some important opportunities throughout the rest of the schedule. This is actually a strong non-conference schedule, in which if everything goes right they could be playing in a post-season tournament even if they don’t reach the NCAA Tournament.
Overall, I love the makeup of this team. Offensively, they could be one of the best in the AAC next season. While I’m concerned about the lack of height, having Nelson and Collins won’t let them be completely blown away by others. When they are off the court, it could be an issue, but they’ll be able to play small ball with the army of guards. Look for the Bulls to be competing in the top five of the AAC this year with an opportunity to be in the fight at the end of the season for the top of the AAC.