Brian Hartline, USF steal four-star QB recruit from Power Four program

University of South Florida Bulls football head coach Brian Hartline. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Brian Hartline, USF steal four-star QB recruit from Power Four program

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jun 10, 2026 6:35 PM ET

Kevin Verpaele is a four-star quarterback from Merritt Island, Florida.

His father, Kevin, and uncle, Danny, both played college football for the USF Bulls, though. Danny Verpaele is currently the Bulls' defensive backs coach under new head coach Brian Hartline.

And yet, the younger Verpaele had been committed to the Pitt Panthers since October 2025.

That's a long time for a commitment to hold on in this modern era of recruiting. Heck, a commitment lasting over six months feels like a rarity nowadays.

It's a commitment that did not hold, though.

According to 247Sports, Hartline and USF put on a "full-court press" to get Verpaele to flip.

The quarterback recruit also took an official visit to USF this past weekend. That led to a decommitment from Pitt on Tuesday, and now he's officially flipped that commitment to Hartline and the Bulls.

BREAKING: Four-Star QB Kevin Verpaele has Committed to USF, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’3 205 QB decommitted from Pitt yesterday

He’s ranked as a Top 3 QB in Florida in the 2027 Rivals300https://t.co/DoR8ajTDr7 pic.twitter.com/AlQwfGXowD
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 10, 2026

Brian Hartline and USF land four-star QB Kevin Verpaele

This is an important commitment for USF. First, it shows that Hartline's recruiting chops, which he showed off at Ohio State for years, have translated to Tampa.

Pitt isn't LSU, Alabama, Michigan or OSU, but stealing a top prospect from a Power Four school is big for USF.

There's also Verpaele's talent to think about. As a junior in high school, he completed 191 of 302 passes for 2,814 yards and 27 touchdowns (nine interceptions). He also rushed 95 times for 480 yards and four touchdowns. That was good for a healthy 5.1 yards per carry.

Rivals ranks Verpaele as the No. 31 QB in the 2027 cycle and considers him a four-star. The 247SPorts Composite is a bit lower on him, ranking him as a three-star, but he's actually ranked a spot higher nationally at No. 30 in those rankings.

Either way, Hartline and USF must be thrilled they pulled off this flip.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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