USF’s steady, award-watch long snapper with pro buzz
In the 2025 season, Garret Cates was USF’s trusted long snapper, played in all 13 games, and earned a spot on the Patrick Mannelly Award watch list as the American Conference’s only preseason nominee[1]. He stands out for consistency and reliability: USF notes he has been a primary long snapper for four straight seasons, and Pro Football Focus credited him with no inaccurate field-goal snaps and just a 10% punt-snap inaccuracy rate in 2024[1]. He also draws NFL interest, with a 2026 Jets rookie minicamp invite reinforcing his pro-ready profile[3][4].
