USF fans were understandably wary entering last Thursday's game against UTSA. The Roadrunners were coming off a stunning win over Tulane where quarterback Owen McCown completed 31 of 33 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns.
But those same fans had barely settled into their seats when McCown dropped to pass on the game's first play. USF cornerback Jarvis Lee exploded off the edge on a corner blitz, forcing an errant throw from McCown that Tavin Ward intercepted and returned 40 yards for a touchdown.
Talk about sudden impact! However, Lee wasn't finished.
UTSA reached the Bulls' 2-yard line on its ensuing possession. Maybe this was going to be the shootout many people had predicted.
But there was Lee again, all over McCown. He stripped the ball loose and into the hands of USF's Fred Gaskin. That turned into an 85-yard touchdown for the Bulls, who were literally off and running toward a 55-23 win.
South Florida is up 14-0 on UTSA and has yet to run an offensive play after two defensive TDs from Tavin Ward and now Fred Gaskin.
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) November 7, 2025
Heck of a strip on this one from USF’s Jarvis Lee, one of the most underrated DBs in the country. pic.twitter.com/juztxr9Ok1
Lee's heroics -- on national TV, no less -- did not go unnoticed. On Monday, he was named the American Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
Bulls coach Alex Golesh said it best after the game. Lee, he said, "played out of his mind."
Lee deflected the spotlight away from himself and turned it toward his teammates and coaches. He has become a versatile corner who can pressure the quarterback or lie back in coverage, depending on the game situation. It can be unsettling for opponents because Lee is liable to do anything in a given moment.
"It makes me feel like my coaches believe in me and trust me, do anything and everything possible for the team," he said.
Lee didn't stop with the two highlight plays, by the way. He finished with six tackles, including two sacks and three tackles for losses. On a night where the entire front-line defense was dominant, the tone was set on the game's first play by a 5-foot-11, 185-pound player.
Jarvis Lee isn't the biggest player on the roster, but you can't always measure impact by someone's size. No one stood taller for USF in this game than Lee.