Stampeding Through the 2025 USF Football Roster: #22 CB De'Shawn Rucker
Rucker became an immediate starter after transferring from Tennessee. What can he do as an encore?
PLAYER: De’Shawn Rucker
POSITION: Cornerback
YEAR: Redshirt senior
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6'0”, 195 lbs.
HOW DID HE GET HERE? Rucker went to high school at Amos P. Godby in Tallahassee, where he was rated a high three-star or low four-star prospect, depending on where you look, and earned offers from pretty much every top-tier program in the Southeast. He ended up committing to Tennessee, and made headlines early on in his Vols career for being extremely fast (he was clocked at 4.38 in the 40). He played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2021 - mostly on special teams, but he made a few appearances at corner as well. Tennessee dealt with some injuries in the secondary in 2022, which allowed Rucker to make a couple starts, including a critical one in the Vols’ famous upset of Alabama that year. He slipped down the depth chart a bit in 2023 and played in just four games, pretty much exclusively on special teams. He entered the transfer portal in early December 2023 and committed to USF a couple weeks later.
During his three seasons at Tennessee, Rucker appeared in 24 games, starting two, and made 14 tackles.
HOW WAS HIS 2024 SEASON? Somewhat unexpectedly, Rucker won a starting job as an outside cornerback in fall camp and never surrendered it. He endeared himself to Bulls fans in the Alabama game, where he had 10 tackles and was praised by Alex Golesh as the best defensive player on the field. As was the case with most of USF’s defense, not every game was perfect, but he was undoubtedly one of the Bulls’ most impressive and consistent defensive performers. When he was healthy, he was starting, and when he was starting, he was usually playing well.
Rucker started all 11 games he appeared in and totaled 42 tackles and two TFLs. Per PFF, he earned the second-most snaps at outside corner of any Bull, behind only Brent Austin, and was sixth in overall defensive snaps.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2025? With his cornerbacking partner Brent Austin gone, Rucker will be counted on to be one of the leaders in the secondary. Golesh choosing him as one of the two team representatives at AAC media days confirms that he’s seen as a cornerstone of this team. He’s a lock to reprise his role as a starting outside corner again in 2025.