TAMPA, Fla. – Thanks to the transfer portal, there is no telling how a player’s college career might unfold. Just ask Ta’Ron Keith, who seemed to have everything lined up to begin his collegiate career at USF in 2020. That was until Charlie Strong was fired after the 2019 season, which put a lid on the recruitment process.
Nearly five years later, the running back out of DeLand and Mainland High has not only made his way to USF for his final season but could also prove to be a valuable part of the offense and special teams.
“You talk about a pro, that’s how he handles himself,” said coach Alex Golesh, who wanted an experienced running back after senior K’wan Powell was injured in the spring game. “He came into camp mentally ready and is pushing for more reps. It’s been really impressive. He has a really cool energy about him every day.”
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Keith spent four seasons at Bowling Green before transferring to Western Kentucky in January. He went through spring drills with the Hilltoppers, though he felt he was not a good fit for the offense. He entered the portal for the second time in a few months and joined the Bulls in May.
“It’s been very, very good for me,” he said of returning to the Sunshine State. “I get to see my family and friends when I can. It feels good to be back and play football in my home state.”
It feels good to reunite with his cousin, senior corner Ben Knox, who went to DeLand High and joined the Bulls in 2020. Knox and Keith played youth football together and overlapped at DeLand High for one year.
“It’s been fun to see how far he came and how far I have come,” he said. “We have come a long way since DeLand.”
The 5-foot-10 and 195-pound Keith compiled 2,871 all-purpose yards and totaled 14 touchdowns with Bowling Green. He earned second-team All-MAC honors as a kick returner in 2022 when he averaged 27.3 yards to rank fifth nationally. It is the return game where Keith might be of most value especially after the Bulls placed 71st in kick returns (19.1) and 102nd in punt returns (5.1) last season. He did not return punts at Bowling Green, though he has been working on that during preseason camp.
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“I feel like I can help the team in kick returns and also punt returns,” he said. “Whatever the team needs.”
It has been so far, so good for Keith at USF even if he left his bowling ball behind.
“It became a hobby and my high score is 233,” he said of the sport he took up with some of his Bowling Green teammates. “I have been so busy with football that I have not had a chance to bring my ball down.”
Keith spent much of the summer arriving at the Selmon Center for workouts at 6 a.m. before diving into the playbook and film study that often went to 6 p.m. He was not bashful about making his way around the coaches’ offices.
“As I soon as I got here, I put my head down and got to work,” he said. “To go in and see the offensive line coach, to see the running backs coach and what they think. We are all going to have to be on the same page for everything to operate smooth.”
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