The Ultimate USF Football Player Tournament: The Champion

After a final that saw over 1,000 votes pour in, I am pleased to announce that the winner of The Ultimate USF Football Player Tournament, by a margin of 76-24%, is the incomparable Matt Grothe.

Grothe, a one seed, overcame a handful of USF legends to claim the title, including consecutive wins over B.J. Daniels, Mike Jenkins, George Selvie, and, finally, Quinton Flowers.

There were good reasons to vote for like, ten different players in this tournament, but Grothe was certainly one of them. Thanks again for voting and taking the time to analyze and debate each matchup— this series wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without all the reader feedback.

So, for one last time: what are your thoughts on the champion? Did the readers get it right? Would Quinton win this tournament if it were held next season? Did having a rap song written in his honor seal the deal for Grothe?

For one last talking point, here are the top 25 players in USF football history, ranked according to your votes:

1. Matt Grothe
2. Quinton Flowers
3. Marlon Mack
4. George Selvie
5. Marquel Blackwell
6. Mike Jenkins
7. Kawika Mitchell
8. Jason Pierre-Paul
9. Ben Moffitt
10. J.R. Reed
11. Andre Hall
12. Stephen Nicholas
13. B.J. Daniels
14. Rodney Adams
15. Anthony Henry
16. Andre Davis
17. Kayvon Webster
18. Kenyatta Jones
19. Terrell McClain
20. Tyrone McKenzie
21. Nate Allen
22. Trae Williams
23. Sam Barrington
24. D’Ernest Johnson
25. Carlton Mitchell