Texas Tech kicker Upton Bellenfant to enter the portal
On Thursday, Texas Tech kicker Upton Bellenfant, announced that he is entering the transfer portal.
“I will be entering the transfer portal with 1 year of eligibility remaining on January 2nd,” Bellenfant posted on social media. Thank you to my coaches, staff, and teammates for an amazing ride here. I will continue with this team for as long as the NCAA calendar allows.”
Bellenfant joined the team as a transfer from Buffalo and was a preseason Lou Groza Award watch list selection. Him and Stone Harrington shared the position through the early part of the season before Harrington began to take control of the reps.
The junior has appeared in seven games going 6-for-6 on field goal attempts with a long of 33 while converting 14 PATs. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Texas Tech Bio:
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
- Began collegiate career in 2022 at Alabama … was a member of the Crimson Tide program for two seasons (2022-23) before transferring to Buffalo (2024) for a highly successful first season seeing collegiate action.
- 2024 SEASON (SOPHOMORE at BUFFALO): named to the All-MAC third team after connecting on 18-of-21 field goal attempts on the season and 31-of-31 extra-point attempts … the 18 made field goals ranked second in Buffalo’s program history for a single season … combined to finish 10-of-11 on field goal attempts inside 39 yards and was a combined 8-of-10 at 40 yards or longer … ranked 24th nationally and fourth in the MAC for field goal percentage (85.7 percent).
- Served as Buffalo’s kickoff specialist, sending 34 of his 74 attempts for touchbacks … averaged 61.3 yards per kick with only one attempt that went out of bounds.
- Found the uprights on the first nine field goals attempts on the season … streak began with successful tries from 37 and 34 yards out against UMass (9/14) … followed by connecting on two attempts from 42 yards and another from 37 yards to finish 3-of-3 at Northern Illinois (9/21) … streak continued with a 47-yarder at UConn (9/28), a 33-yarder versus Toledo (10/12) and a 26 and 22-yarder against Western Michigan (10/19).
- First miss of the season was from 47 yards at Ohio (10/26) … rebounded later in the game to drill a 40-yard attempt … combined to make his next three attempts with a 33-yarder and 36-yarder at Akron (11/2) and a 27-yarder versus Ball State (11/12) … missed his only attempt at Eastern Michigan (11/20), a 55-yarder that marked his longest attempt of the season.
- Closed the regular season with a successful 42-yard attempt against Kent State (11/26) … proceeded to finish 4-of-5 on field goal attempts in the Bahamas Bowl against Liberty (1/4), finding the uprights from 52, 43, 20 and 45 yards with the lone miss coming from 30 yards … his season-long 52-yarder in the game was also a bowl record … bowl performance came after his commitment to Texas Tech on Dec. 27.
- 2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN at ALABAMA): did not see game action … transferred at end of the season.
- 2022 SEASON (FRESHMAN at ALABAMA): redshirt season … did not see any game action.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Attended Stewarts Creek High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn. … combined to make 8-of-11 field goals with a long of 47 yards over his junior and senior seasons… also handled punting duties for the Red Hawks… won the field goal contest at the end of Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp against other top players in the country in 2020.
PERSONAL
- Upton Bellenfant … born in Goodlettsville, Tenn. and raised in Murfreesboro, Tenn. … son of Keith and Kit Bellenfant … has two older sisters, Grahm and Campbell.
- Father played football at Cumberland University, also as a kicker, in the early 1990’s.
- An explore STEM major at Texas Tech.
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