College Football Player Clears The Air After His Tender Embrace With Teammate Sparks Gay Speculation

College football season is back, baby, and apparently so is football romance.

The University of South Florida Bulls, who rolled into Gainesville as 18-point underdogs against the No. 15 Gators, pulled off a 20-yard nail-biter win. But instead of just celebrating the upset, kicker Nico Gramatica and punter Chase Leon gave fans something else to cheer about: a slow-motion-worthy embrace that had Twitter, Instagram, and everyone with a romcom fantasy spiraling.

The celebratory moment was captured on UF’s home turf in the post below:

Need a closer look? Here’s the sequence featuring the sweet moment between Gramatica and Leon (their embrace happens at the 1:34 mark):

- YouTube R McElhaney/YouTube

Forget the scoreboard—this was the real highlight reel. As the final whistle blew, Gramatica grabbed Leon’s face, pulled him close, and shared a cheek-to-cheek hug so tender it made Bridgerton look underwritten. ESPN’s cameras caught every second, and suddenly the country’s most macho sport turned into a post-game embrace that rivaled The Notebook—less Gosling, more cleats.

You can view the Gramatica-Leon huddle here:

Gramatica isn’t exactly new to the spotlight. He’s the son of NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ Martin “Automatica” Gramatica, part of a legacy of kickers. But Saturday night, the stats and the legacy took a backseat to Nico’s own vibe—his head-to-helmet romcom energy that left viewers wondering whether Prime Video should be scouting the USF roster.

Here’s my pitch, Hollywood: Friday Night Lights meets Red, White & Royal Blue. Draft’s already open in Final Draft.

Leon, meanwhile, is an Aussie transfer from Lamar University who now punts and handles kickoffs for the Bulls. Not much is publicly known about him, but judging by the way he looked back at Gramatica, he clearly speaks fluent bro love language.

And even though the moment was swoon-worthy enough to spark fanfiction outlines, Leon clarified in a reply post:

“Not gay and not a fan of AI anymore! 🤣 cheers guys 🤘🏼”

Hear that, folks? That’s the sound of me shredding my feature screenplay titled 10 Things I Kick About You.

Proof of his reply is below:

And yes, that viral video of Nico and Chase kissing—which racked up millions of views—has been debunked as AI, as reported by Outsports’ Jim Buzinski.

Crushing our shipper dreams, Buzinski wrote:

“For the record, I watched the whole ESPN video sequence from the end of the game and this X video is 100% AI. Another example of always verifying anything you see on the internet.”

To his credit, Leon is handling it like a champ. Nobody actually thinks the two are dating, but the hug was undeniably hot: erotic, wholesome, funny, and very, very meme-able. Add in the fact that both guys are objectively good-looking, and you’ve got the perfect viral storm.

Leon also took the time to respond to other reactions, soaking in his new-found internet fame:

And even when former NFL star Antonio Brown reacted to the viral photo to call Leon and Gramatica a homophobic slur, Leon still took the high road, calling the reaction "harsh."

@AB84/X; @Chase_leon7/X

On the flip side, Brock McGillis, a former pro hockey player who’s openly gay, chimed in with his support, saying:

“You can love each other and be affectionate without being in love or gay. I think it’s really dope that you guys are straight and that comfortable with each other.”

Well said, McGillis!

For those who don’t know, McGillis became the first openly gay professional hockey player when he came out publicly in 2016, using his platform to push for more inclusivity in the sport. Since then, he’s been one of hockey’s loudest advocates for queer athletes, proving that being out and proud doesn’t make you any less tough—or any less of a competitor.

And let’s be honest, in a sport famous for red-faced coaches screaming about balls and plays, the Gramatica-Leon hug was refreshing. Tenderness on a football field is rare, and this one hit harder than a linebacker.

Also, based on the internet reactions below, it’s safe to say cuffing season has officially kicked off:

South Florida now sits at No. 18 in the AP poll and heads into a huge matchup against No. 5 Miami next. But honestly? After this weekend, the Bulls are already national champions of vibes. Between the memes, the shipping wars, and the face-grab heard ’round the internet, we all know who we’re rooting for.

The Bulls face Miami on Saturday, and regardless of the outcome, Nico and Chase have already won over the hearts of football and non-football fans alike.