The Bulls’ leader in receiving yards played soccer and was a kicker
TAMPA, Fla. – While visiting an animal shelter in Knoxville with his Tennessee Volunteers teammates about three years ago, Charles Michael Nimrod did not find a furry friend as much as it found him.
“He kind of came up to me when I went to his little cage,” said the USF receiver, who goes by Chas. “He was super friendly and a real pretty cat, so I was like, ‘I want to get that one.’”
Nimrod and his buddy, Phil, have since been inseparable. Now, what is with the name Phil?
“I thought it would be fun to have a cat named Phil,” he said. “I wanted a regular, like, human name.”
And the rest is history.
“It has been awesome,” he said. “We have genuinely created a bond. It has been cool.”
So is Nimrod’s football story.
Kicker to receiver
Rebecca Nimrod was not too keen on her sons playing football before a certain age. That meant Chas and Elliott, who is two years older, could not take to the gridiron until their teens. So, both played soccer and continued to play the sport after they first put on helmets and pads in the eighth grade. Chas still has the itch.
“I wish I could practice with the (USF) men’s team,” he said. “That would be fun.”
Nimrod took his soccer skills to the football field. Kicking was something he toyed with going back to the fifth grade when he met up with a high school player, future Navy kicker Bennett Moehring, at Bentonville High, which both attended in their native Arkansas.
Fast-forward to his time with the Volunteers and Nimrod often swung his leg after practice to see how many footballs he could put through the uprights.
“I tried to make 50-yarders, and occasionally would,” he said. “I am too inconsistent now. Besides, we have little Nico (Gramatica) who sinks it from 50 like it is nothing. If we need to, I could sink a 30- or 40- yarder.”
While his former offensive coordinator at Tennessee, current USF coach Alex Golesh, will likely not summon Nimrod for field goal duty, he has been a heck of a receiver for the Bulls. Hence, it is safe to say he made the right choice when he approached his coach following the first day of practice in the eighth grade and asked if he could change positions while still kicking.
“They put me at quarterback the first day of practice and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I am going to do all of this,’” he said. “Receiver caught my eye and I asked if I could be one.”
Tennessee to Tampa
While Elliott was a kicker at Arkansas State (2020) and Utah State (2021-2024), for whom he drilled 11-of-14 field goal attempts and had an 18-yard TD run against James Madison in 2023, Nimrod honed his craft at receiver.
Recruited by Golesh, Nimrod left for Knoxville and spent three seasons with Josh Heupel’s Vols. After redshirting as a freshman in 2022, he caught 29 passes over the next two seasons.
“I am really thankful for my time there,” said Nimrod, who praised former Vols’ receiver Bru McCoy for showing him the ropes. “They developed me as a player and as a man.”
Nimrod, who has one season of eligibility remaining following the current one, has made quite an impression at USF through three weeks. He has 10 receptions for a team-high 248 yards, including a 55-yard reception in the season opener against Boise State and one for 53 yards last week at Miami, where he caught four passes for 128 yards.
“He has been really explosive for us and he has continued to get more confident, which gives us the ability to do some different things offensively between him and Keshaun,” said Golesh, referring to redshirt sophomore receiver Keshaun Singleton.
“Tuning up” his play, including making sure there are no lapses in the blocking game, is what Nimrod feels he needs to work on most as non-conference play comes to an end against South Carolina State on Saturday afternoon (noon, ESPN+) at Raymond James Stadium.
“From play to play, I need to be more detailed and more consistent in catching every ball that comes my way,” he said.
As Nimrod sharpens his skills as a receiver, he continues to make the best of his time since arriving at USF in January when quarterback Byrum Brown and each of the receivers made him feel welcome.
“Tampa is beautiful and the campus is beautiful,” said Nimrod, who is studying hospitality management as is scheduled to graduate in the spring. “It has been a really good experience. I really like it down here.”
Of course, much of his time is spent in the football complex, which is why having Phil is a good thing.
“I always had a dog growing up, but with the time commitment (on campus) I figured a cat would be best,” he said. “He’s an indoor/outdoor cat. When I am home, I leave the door open.”
That door is wide open for Nimrod to continue to shine with the Bulls.
READ: USF’s Alvon Isaac Enjoyed Beating His Hometown Gators, And Enjoys Giving Back In Gainesville
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