The odds of making an NFL roster mean being in the 1 percent of the 1 percent of players in the world — such a slim chance that it’s hard to comprehend how few players actually get that chance.
Making it as an undrafted free agent? The odds are even more stacked. Becoming a star as an undrafted free agent? Forget about it.
Somehow, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes seems on the verge of defying the odds, with The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrique putting him on her list of NFL future stars generating buzz before the start of the regular season.
“Garnes is in a clearly defined backup role behind the Bucs’ talented starting cornerbacks — but to even get here as an undrafted free agent shows how much of an impact he made throughout training camp,” Rodrique wrote on September 8. “It’s a familiar story for Garnes, who went from no-star recruit at Duquesne to eventual productive starter at Arizona — and I like taking a long-term view of a player in this exercise.”
Ayden Garnes Made ‘Big Impression’ in Offseason
The Buccaneers needed Garnes this offseason as their veterans dealt with injuries, and he more than held his own against a deep wide receiver group.
Sports Illustrated’s River Wells put Garnes at the top of his list of UDFAs for the Buccaneers who “turned heads” during the offseason.
“The Buccaneers have dealt with a large number of defensive back injuries so far this offseason,” Wells wrote in June. “Benjamin Morrison, Miles Killebrew, Keionte Scott, Chase Lucas and Kemon Hall are all players who’ve missed time due to injury at Tampa Bay’s offseason programs. That’s allowed Ayden Garnes, an undrafted free agent out of Arizona, to get more playing time this offseason. He’s deflected quite a few passes and covered his man well so far, and he’s competing in a room that could use some depth heading into 2026. We’ll have to see how Garnes does in training camp when the pads come on, but with the outside cornerbacks room in flux, he could make a play to stick on the roster if he competes well against some of Tampa Bay’s depth signings like Lucas and Hall.”
Ayden Garnes Played for 3 Colleges in 5 Seasons
Garnes, a Philadelphia native, played his 1st 3 seasons of college football at Duquesne before spending 1 season at West Virginia in 2024 before ending his career at Arizona in 2025, where he started all 13 games for the Wildcats.
In his 1 year with Arizona, the 6-foot, 183-pound Garnes had 43 tackles, 1 interception, 8 pass deflections, 1.5 TFL, and 2 QB hurries.
Garnes earned an invitation to the American Bowl following his senior season.
One other remarkable thing about Garnes is that he saved someone’s life by donating his bone marrow in 2022 while he was at Duquesne.
“For African Americans, it’s an under-one-percent chance that I was even going to be a match, so I really forgot about it,” Garnes said after giving a sample to see if he was going to be a match.
Six months later, he got word there was someone who could use his bone marrow for life-saving surgery for a woman in her 20s, and Garnes stepped up to the plate.
“I ended up doing the surgery in Boston on January 4th,” Garnes told KGUN-TV. “By the time I woke from my surgery, her surgery was already done.”
Undrafted Buccaneers Rookie Tops List of NFL ‘Future Stars’