Stampeding Through the 2025 USF Football Roster: #67 OL Thomas Shrader
Shrader is the second of two transfers on the O-line returning to Florida for their senior seasons.
PLAYER: Thomas Shrader
POSITION: Offensive lineman
YEAR: Redshirt senior
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6'5", 305 lbs.
HOW DID HE GET HERE? Shrader was a high three-star recruit out of Venice High School and received offers from a number of power conference programs. He ended up committing to Florida State, where he was recruited by Raymond Woodie, a name that should be very familiar to USF fans and very familiar to longtime BAE readers. He played pretty sparingly at FSU, appearing in 16 games over four seasons, but did make his first career college start against NC State in 2020. After appearing in 11 games in Florida State’s almost-undefeated 2023 season, mostly in spot duty and on special teams, he transferred to Appalachian State for the 2024 season, where his career really took off (more on that below). He entered the transfer portal in December and committed quickly thereafter to USF, where he’ll reunite with fellow former Nole Zane Herring for his redshirt senior season.
HOW WAS HIS 2024 SEASON? It was certainly his most productive at the college level. Shrader was a wire-to-wire starter at right tackle for the Mountaineers, and ended the season with the third-most snaps among App State offensive linemen, per PFF.
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2025? As we’ve discussed in some of our previous entries, Shrader is part of what figures to be a three-person competition for two open spots on USF’s offensive line - at tackle (the spot formerly occupied by RJ Perry, now the in the NFL) and guard (formerly occupied by Andrew Kilfoyl, now at Bowling Green). His main competition is fellow transfer Connor McLaughlin and returning jack-of-all-trades Jack Wilty. Shrader played tackle exclusively at App State, but his appearances at FSU were mainly at guard, so the Bulls could conceivably use him at either position. Whether he’ll win either job is anyone’s guess at this point, but the coaching staff wouldn’t have brought Shrader in as a one-year rental if he wasn’t going to be part of the rotation in some fashion.