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# Stampeding Through the 2025 USF Football Roster: #5 RB Cartevious Norton
- URL: https://www.bayareaexaminer.com/stampeding-through-the-2025-usf-football-319/
- Published: 2025-08-23T13:01:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T15:46:58.000Z
- Description: Meet USF's new bruiser at running back.
- Author: Collin Sherwin
- Tags: #Migrated-1792597384348, #Import 2026-10-21 15:44

**PLAYER:** Cartevious Norton

**POSITION:** Running back

**YEAR:** Senior

**HEIGHT/WEIGHT:** 5'11", 222 lbs.

**HOW DID HE GET HERE?** A veritable bowling ball of a running back and high three-star recruit out of Ware County High School in south Georgia, Norton received offers from Iowa State, USF, and a handful of other mid-major schools. He chose the Cyclones and earned immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2022, appearing in eight games and starting three. He saw at least 11 carries in each of the Clones’ last five games, and had an impressive two-touchdown outing against West Virginia. For the season, he finished with 312 yards on 87 carries (3.6 YPC) and those two TDs, all while battling a nagging hamstring injury.

He began the 2023 season as the starter, but his playing time faded a bit as the season went along. He still managed to put up career highs in rushing yards (343), yards per carry (3.9) and rushing touchdowns (3), and had some impressive games along the way, namely a two-touchdown effort vs. Baylor. You can see those at 2:45 and 3:36 below, the latter being an impressive 50-yard burst from the big fella.

After the Cyclones’ regular season was over, Norton entered the transfer portal and ended up enrolling at American Conference foe Charlotte, where he spent 2024 as one of the Niners’ two main ball carriers. When Charlotte’s head coach Biff Poggi was fired, Norton went back in the portal and committed to USF in mid-December. He also reported an offer from Texas State.

**HOW WAS HIS 2024 SEASON?** He helped carry the load for the Niners’ backfield, starting nine games and leading the team in carries. Norton generally served as the thunder to his smaller, shifter teammate Heshaun Wilson’s lightning, but he had some breakout games along the way: he had 17 carries for 86 yards and two scores against Memphis, and 10 carries for 88 yards and another two scores against ECU.

Let’s watch some more Norton highlights, shall we? Check out his 17-yard run for the opening score against Memphis at 0:22 below.

Ready for a bigger one? At 4:06 below, you can see him outrun the entire ECU defense en route to a highlight-reel 62-yard score.

I should mention that Norton [put up another two scores in Charlotte’s loss to USF](https://thebayareaexaminer.substack.com/p/stampede-bonus-how-did-usfs-new-players) last season on a 10-30-2 line. He finished the season with 525 yards on 125 carries (4.1 YPC) and seven touchdowns, along with a pair of catches for 13 yards.

**WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2025?** Norton has developed a reputation as a between-the-tackles bruiser in the vein of Nay’Quan Wright, which makes him a logical replacement for Wright in the USF backfield. He’s a proven back at this level of competition with a reliable floor of “steady American Conference performer.”

But… the more I read and watch on him, I can’t help but think that Norton is a special athlete that could really bloom in the right environment. Not much was blooming on the Charlotte offense last season, and Norton’s time at Iowa State was derailed a bit by injuries, but there were some big-time flashes at both stops. Just check his acceleration on that run against ECU - that’s really impressive for a back his size. Or check his missed tackles forced last season:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/a9/77a9bb8f-d0f1-45b5-8fed-5feacd465ef5/content/images/2026/10/1cd627d2-1b85-4563-ab89-12d5e5ce9aa4_1204x658.png)

Anyway, USF doesn’t need Norton to be *the guy* in the backfield; they have a few exciting options who all have slightly different skillsets. But I think he’ll be the first man up, and I really think he has a chance to put up the best numbers of his career.