Fortin named starter for South Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 23, 2021) – It is official.

While signs pointed towards sophomore Cade Fortin being the front-runner for the South Florida Bulls’ starting quarterback job for months, USF head coach Jeff Scott ended the speculation on Monday.

Scott has named Fortin as the Bulls’ Game 1 starter for the 2021 season. The Bulls will open the 2021 campaign with a Thursday night, prime time matchup at North Carolina State on Sept. 2 in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on the ACC Network.

The USF football Twitter account confirmed the news.

Fortin, a three-star recruit and the No. 34 ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2018 class, committed to North Carolina in Dec. 2017.

Fortin had played his 2018 freshman season with the Tar Heels, but a coaching change and the selection of quarterback Sam Howell as the starter had him looking elsewhere for an opportunity to play.

Scott traveled to suburban Atlanta for an in-home visit with Fortin and his family before even hiring any assistant coaches. That visit went so well that Fortin visited USF less than a week later and chose to run with the Bulls.

Fortin missed the first two games of the 2020 season due to COVID. He played in only two games and attempted just eight passes, suffering a season-ending shoulder injury on a 33-yard run against Tulsa.