The Bulls have gone into the third week of fall training camp knowing who their quarterback will be heading into the season opener Aug. 30 against Western Carolina at Raymond James Stadium.

Head coach Willie Taggart announced in a team meeting Sunday night that sophomore Mike White has won the starting job after competing against junior Steven Bench, who also looked sharp through the first two weeks of camp.

“We want to go into next week being pretty sure on who we’re going to work with and who we can continue to bring along with us,” Taggart said at Bulls Fan Fest Saturday.

White competed with confidence after playing in six games and starting the last five as a true freshman last season. The Fort Lauderdale native led the Bulls with 1,083 yards passing and he turned in the best debut by a USF quarterback in program history by throwing for 311 yards and two touchdowns at Houston.

“It’s what every freshman wants, it’s what every freshman dreams of. They don’t go to college to redshirt, they go to college to play,” White said. “I was one of the very few that got the opportunity to play as a true freshman and I’m thankful for it. I got my game experience, I made my mistakes last year and now I know what to expect going into the season.”

The Bulls feel good about the quarterback position as a whole after watching other signal callers shine throughout camp. Bench kept the QB battle tight by showcasing his improved passing ability and throwing for 317 yards and three touchdowns in USF’s spring game at Corbett Stadium on campus.

White and Bench have become close friends since joining the team last fall and White said Bench has been very supportive throughout their time as Bulls.

“Before I was in the quarterback contention to now he’s never stopped helping me,” White said. “We have fun off the field, play video games and stuff like that, and talk about our old baseball stories. He’s a great guy and I wouldn’t rather be in competition with anybody else.”

White and Bench split reps with the first team throughout camp while USF’s younger quarterbacks have stepped up when their number has been called. True freshman Quinton Flowers showed off his scrambling ability earlier in camp and grabbed Taggart’s attention during Saturday’s scrimmage when he passed for three touchdowns.

Another quarterback who has made the most of his snaps in camp is redshirt freshman Evan Wilson, who posted a touchdown pass in the spring game.

“I’m excited about the quarterback position and where we’re at there,” Taggart said.

Head back to GoUSFBulls.com on Monday night for a full practice report that will feature thoughts from Taggart and White.

Release on USF Athletics site