USF has landed the commitment of the bay area’s top quarterback prospect in the class of 2014, Wharton’s Chase Litton.
The rising senior moved up his decision after Miami Jackson quarterback Quinton Flowers reportedly announced his pledge to USF over the weekend.
It remains unclear whether Flowers has committed to USF, but Litton moved quickly to secure a spot in Willie Taggart’s first full recruiting class with the Bulls.
The pairing could prove beneficial for both Litton and the Bulls if the commitment is a firm one.
As a junior, Litton completed 58 percent of his passes for an area-leading 2,732 yards and 23 touchdowns with 10 interceptions for the Wildcats. He is also the top quarterback this year for Team Tampa’s 7-on-7 team, the defending national champion.
Litton also held scholarship offers from LSU, Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan and Samford. An offer from Florida International could have been imperiled by the commitment of Gaither’s Alex McGough over the weekend.
Taggart could reel in a particularly strong class of quarterbacks in February if both Litton and Flowers remain committed to USF.
Flowers is a four-star recruit who is also being sought by Illinois, Tennessee, TCU and West Virginia, among others. Litton, of course, is a strong-armed 6-foot-6 prospect who caught the eye of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer during recent Elite 11 competitions.
That’s not even including the recent additions of Penn State transfer Steven Bench, who will have three years of eligibility remaining starting this fall and freshman Mike White who was signed in the most-recent recruiting class.
The incumbents for the starting job are Bobby Eveld and Matt Floyd, but they’ll be hard-pressed to hold off the newcomers as Taggart has clearly been looking to upgrade the talent at the position.