Stampeding Through the 2025 USF Football Roster: #22 RB Chase Garnett
We've reached the other half of USF's impressive freshman RB duo.
PLAYER: Chase Garnett
POSITION: Running back
YEAR: Freshman
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5’9”, 215 lbs.
HOW DID HE GET HERE? A rare USF incoming freshman from Texas, Garnett transferred to Liberty Christian School in the DFW area as a junior and started putting up some monster numbers. This caught the attention of a number of schools, particularly in the western half of the U.S., and earned him a (say it with me) mid three-star rating from the recruiting services. In April 2024, after his junior season, he released a top seven that featured the Bulls and some other competitive mid-major offers, plus Arizona.
In what will hopefully be a portent of things to come, the Bulls beat out Boise State and Tulsa for Garnett’s signature. He committed in July, signed on early signing day, and enrolled in the fall.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2025? Garnett is one of two incoming freshman running backs for the Bulls, both of whom I am very jazzed about. The other, Tray Kinkle, is a speedster, and Garnett is more of a traditional power back, so they’ve taken to calling themselves “Sonic and Knuckles.” Unfortunately, I am pretty unfamiliar with the Sonic franchise, so this reference was lost on me and prompted some very intense research.
I get paid to write these!*
Anyway, don’t take my word for it. In his introductory fall camp presser, Alex Golesh waxed poetic for a bit about Garnett and Kinkle, praising both of them as players who could feature in the running back rotation sooner rather than later. I do think “sooner” will mean 2026 or beyond, but I am very excited about both [checks notes] Sonic and Knuckles, the famous hedgehog and echidna, one of whom is very fast and the other is very strong. Everyone knows this, especially me.
*I do not get paid to write these.