TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 25, 2021) -- Sophomore quarterback Cade Fortin has not started a game in college since Nov. 2018, a 34-28 loss to NC State where he went 19-of-40 passing the ball for 276 yards and a touchdown, as well as an interception.
Now, almost three calendar years later, Fortin will have the chance to come full circle. Through a Twitter post on the USF Football Twitter account Monday afternoon, Fortin was tabbed the starter for the Bulls as Week 1 against the Wolfpack approaches.
“I’ve talked about it, it’s kind of funny how my last start, almost three years ago, was against NC State, and now the next start, again, is going to be against NC State,” Fortin said in a Tuesday press conference. “So, It's an interesting situation. It's going to be fun, getting back out there in North Carolina, getting to play those guys.”
Nerves could potentially be a factor for Fortin, a former North Carolina Tar Heel, heading up to Raleigh,NC for, in a way, a homecoming. Once he gets in the groove of the game, however, he’s ready to lock in.
“I think it all goes back to that first play, once you get through that first play, you see that first completion, you get that first hit, you get to see the speed of the game, I think all the butterflies and all that nervousness goes away,” Fortin said. “It's going to be a good crowd, it's going to be loud, so we’re going to be locked in. We're going to have to communicate very well to be able to play in that stadium, I'm just excited to get back out there and compete.”
If Fortin and the Bulls are going to have any level of success, they’re going to have to form a bit of chemistry with one another, or strengthen what already exists.
In the offseason, Fortin and other members of the Bulls worked hard to get accustomed to each other’s tendencies, something that may help foster the growth of their chemistry, according to him.
“I think that also goes back to [the] offseason and the work that we put in, and just kind of learning those guys and how they run routes,” Fortin said. “We’ve got guys that are very versatile in the way that they approach the game. Some guys are going to go up and get it,some guys are going to outrun other players. So, it's just figuring out where those guys fit in and what routes they run and how they do it. In the back of my head I have got to know, ‘This guy’s a little faster’ maybe I'm going to put it over the top.
“That’s definitely something I've got to pay attention to, and something that we’ve worked in. So, it’s just building that chemistry and I think we’ll have no problem.”
One weapon that Fortin appeared to have somewhat of a special connection with in the spring game was junior receiver Xavier Weaver, who hauled in three catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns on the day.
Of those 97 yards, 50 of them came on the game’s first play from scrimmage, where Fortin found Weaver down the sideline for a big chunk play.
“He’s got connections with everybody out there,” Weaver said of Fortin. “Just knowing that he's got trust with all of us, it's real cool out there. Knowing the ball’s coming your way or coming to somebody else’s way. We’re all communicating, it’s real nice.”
Fortin’s path to this moment hasn’t been easy, as he’s dealt with injuries since high school and a rapid cycling of coaches and teammates.
Somehow, however, he has pushed through it all to end up here, as the starting quarterback for the Bulls in 2021. He attributes his mental and physical fortitude to his faith, something he takes very seriously.
“I’m a huge guy of faith,” Fortin said. “I think through the adversity and all the things I’ve been through, just kind of going back and leaning on my faith and how I was raised [is what keeps me going]. I’m a big believer in God, and there’s a verse that I’ve leaned on ever since high school when I got injured and I was out the whole year, Jeremiah 29:11.
“It says ‘’For I know the plans I have for you,’’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ That’s for me, I took that to heart. I still think about it all the time. That’s definitely something I’ve leaned on through this whole thing. For all the God given talents that I have, I wouldn’t be here without him, and all the things and all the doors he’s opened for me. Looking back on it, two years, in the moment, transferring, I kind of thought ‘Where are you taking me right now?’ but looking back two years later I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
Fortin is set to make his first career USF start Sept. 2 against the NC State Wolfpack, as the program opens its 25th season. The game will be played at 7:30 p.m. in Raleigh, NC.
You will not be charged until 60 days after sign up. Use promo code Bulls60.
