The Brian Hartline era at South Florida is already facing its first test of roster stability. Just days into a new coaching regime, the USF Bulls are seeing key playmakers head for the exit. A player responsible for over 800 all-purpose yards last season is reportedly the first to depart.
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According to the On3 Transfer Portal report on X, USF running back and return specialist Alvon Isaac is entering the transfer portal. The 5-foot-9 RB finished the 2025 season with 820 yards overall, including rushing, receiving, and returning, and has two years of eligibility. He led USF in rushing with 52 yards, including a 49-yard run, in a season-opening win vs Boise State.
Isac also had a season-best 64 rushing yards against North Texas, including 18 yards on kickoff return. He maintains an average of 4.8 yards per carry and 22 yards per return. Alvon is a three-star recruit for USF’s 2024 class from Hawthorne High School, Florida, who was a multi-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. As a football prospect, he played both RB and DB, and excelled on both sides of the game, getting ranked 142nd nationally and No. 206 in Florida.
He had 18 offers as a high school prospect from top FBS and FCS schools, including Mississippi, Louisville, and Pittsburgh. However, former head coach Alex Golesh and RBs coach Matt Merritt secured an early commitment from the athlete for the Bulls. Golesh played a key role in shaping him, primarily as a running back.
USF RB and return specialist Alvon Isaac plans to enter the transfer portal, his reps @youngbucksport tell @PeteNakos.
Finished the 2025 season with 820 all-purpose yards, including 4.8 yards per carry and 22 yards per return. Has two years of eligibility remaining.… pic.twitter.com/AxJhz4lnq1
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 19, 2025
“A hidden gem located in Hawthorne,” said Alex Golesh after recruiting. “Alvon is an all-around athlete who will raise the talent on our team. This state champion will bring a winning mindset to the Bulls!”
As a kid growing up in Gainesville, USF running back Alvon Isaac dreamed about playing at the University of Florida’s fabled stadium, the Swamp.
“In my mind, I was always out there using my speed, making people miss, hearing the roar of the crowd,” Isaac said.
He redshirted his first season, playing only four games, and made a big impact in the first half of the 2025 campaign for USF, but the momentum slipped in the second half. His 110 punt-return yards against S.C. State were the fourth most in the school’s single-game history. Alvon is expected to hit the transfer portal on Jan. 02, but not alone, as another USF player announced his interest in transferring, leaving Brian Hartline in complete shock.
Brian Hartline’s USF loses another 3-star recruit
Within hours after Alvon Isaac’s exit, fellow USF star and sophomore DB Fred Gaskin announced he is leaving the college. According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, the Bulls’ starting defensive back, Fred Gaskin, told On3 Sports that he has been planning to enter the transfer portal.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder is a three-star recruit of the 2024 class, from Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida. He was the 49th-ranked safety as a prospect and the 71st-ranked player in Florida. Like Isaac, Gaskin was a two-way player for the Vanguard Knights, contributing at both quarterback and defensive back. Gaskin had 35 offers before committing to the Bulls.
He played a key role for the Bulls, totaling 53 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 pass defenses, 1 forced fumble, & 2 fumble returns this season. He will be hitting the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. Now, as Hartline attempts to stabilize the new role, the changes continue to come.