Mainland LB Dennis "Tank" King commits to USF football
On Thursday evening, Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland class of 2026 linebacker Dennis King informed the South Florida Bulls coaching staff of his commitment, and he has since announced the news on social media.
King becomes USF’s second-highest ranked commit of the class and picked Alex Golesh‘s program over several Power Four conference teams. Bulls Insider understands that he picked USF over Florida and West Virginia, while the likes of Miami, UCF, Louisville, Indiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Wake Forest, Maryland and several others offered him.
The 6-2, 210-pounder projects as an inside linebacker for the Bulls. He is the No. 831 overall player and No. 70 linebacker according to the 2026 Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. According to Rivals’ own rankings, he’s listed a bit higher as the No. 48 linebacker in America. He’s also the No. 83 player in Florida per Rivals.
USF hired Golesh as its new head coach on Dec. 4, 2022, and he got work right away on the Bulls’ 2023 recruiting class. His staff signed a total of 30 prospects — including 14 in the February signing period. But in January, the Bulls’ staff kept looking to future cycles as well.
They offered King, then a high school freshman. USF was his first scholarship offer, and their longtime efforts paid off.
He becomes USF’s 34th commitment in the 2026 cycle and fourth linebacker pledge.
Through 32 games of his high school career, King has logged 155 stops (51 tackles for loss), 13 sacks, 2 pass break ups, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 forced fumbles.
He only played in seven games as a junior, and his sophomore season was his best, posting 90 tackles, 31 TFLs and 11 sacks.
