Hi guys, I've been lurking and researching for a while but can't really find anything with someone in the same situation as me so I've come to ask for some help.

Stats atm are

5'7, 168lbs, 23y/o - around 21% bodyfat (35inch waist)
squat - 220lb 3x5
Deadlift - 314lb 3x5
bench - 150lb 3x5
OH press - 111lb 3x5
Power clean - 165lb 5x3

(I'm an aussie but i converted everything into pounds for your ease :P)

So clearly my problem is I'm weak and I'm fat, I've read posts with people debating cutting but man I'm lighter than them and I have a higher bodyfat than them..
Thing is I started doing the program at around 154lb and 19% bodyfat already and excessively weak (started squatting 110lb and deadlifting at 220lb)..

I'm asian so naturally when i first started lifting 2 years ago I was skinny and felt like I could eat whatever I wanted, long story short I ate dirty as hell and didn't squat or deadlift so I got fat without making significant strength gains. I actually started SS in december after my first gridiron season (just a bunch of weekend warriors down here) but unfortunately due to issues with mobility, technique and half-hearted dieting because I knew i was high bf%, I was banging my head against a wall.

I know people say around 12% is optimal body weight to start bulking but instead of cutting I decided to get what strength gains I could before the season starts again, made sure i hit 3500+ calories a day and my linear progression became consistent.

So i guess my question is whether there will be a point where I should be concerned about my bodyfat% and what should I do about it? I'm loving my strength gains and whilst my body is shaping up nicely, my gut still continues to grow.. when my gf says i'm fat I remain adamant it's just because my abs are growing underneath the fat I already had lol. Furthermore the gridiron season is 2 months away, so i'm thinking I need to start getting some conditioning in and I doubt increasing my fat will improve my ability to play cornerback..but alas then this would be NDTP.

I know Rip has suggested to eat 3500 calories of paleo and my bf should end up around 17%.. is that my only option? as a full time uni student working a nightfill job casually and paleo seems like a difficult and expensive endeavour.

I was thinking that maybe switching to something such as crossfitfootball (i know.. cf..) might be appropriate, I'd still be doing linear progression whilst getting some conditioning work done and maybe just maybe this would shed some of my bf??

Sorry for writing so much, just a little lost and confused on what I should do next and hoping that someone with more experience could point me in the right direction.

Thanks for your time!