Sioux Falls Alums Gardeck & Pipkens Stay Put After FA Frenzy

The USF Cougars have a long and storied history on the gridiron, and have sent several players to the NFL over the years.

Two of those players, Dennis Gardeck and Trey Pipkens III, were staring down the open market once again this offseason.

Good news found both of the former Cougars this week, as they will both reportedly be back with their teams from 2025.

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Per ESPN.com:

The Los Angeles Chargers are bringing back veteran offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III on a two-year, $10 million deal, a source told ESPN on Tuesday night.

The deal can be worth up to $12 million through incentives, the source said.

It's the fourth move the team has made to address its offensive line, following an agreement to re-sign offensive tackle Trevor Penning, a two-year deal with former Miami Dolphins guard Cole Strange and a three-year contract with former Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz.

Pipkins was supposed to be the Chargers' swing tackle in 2025, but a season-ending injury to Joe Alt thrust Pipkins into the starting role at right tackle.

A seven-year veteran, Pipkins has been particularly versatile, playing all offensive line positions except center.

Pipkins' 10 starts were his least since his third season in the league. His five false start penalties were the most in his career.

He was a third-round pick in the 2019 draft from the University of Sioux Falls.

Here's the latest on Gardeck's deal per CBS Sports:

The Jaguars re-signed Gardeck on Monday.

Gardeck will stick with Jacksonville after a career year in 2025, in which he tallied 48 tackles (28 solo), including 2.5 sacks, two pass defenses and one forced fumble while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. He figures to reprise a significant rotational role in the team's linebacker corps for the 2026 campaign.

Sources: CBS Sports and ESPN.com