Gators kicker Chris Howard entering transfer portal
Florida Gators kicker Chris Howard will enter the transfer portal for his sixth and final season of college football. Howard announced the news Monday on Twitter.
Howard appeared in nine games for the Gators in 2021, finishing 4-for-4 on extra point attempts and recording two kickoffs for 128 yards versus FAU. On the season, he was 7-of-9 (78 percent) in field goal tries.
Howard missed a 32-yarder in Florida’s spring game.
The Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., native walked on at UF in 2017. He took a redshirt that season and wouldn’t appear in a game until 2019. Howard was put on scholarship in January 2021, following Evan McPherson’s departure.
Howard’s departure will free up a scholarship for the Gators. Billy Napier has continually said that the Gators will be aggressive in the transfer portal. Currently, the Gators are over the 85-man scholarship limit.
This week should see a lot of movement in college football. The deadline to enter the transfer portal and be eligible for fall sports is May 1.
Right now the Gators have two kickers, both walk ons, on the roster. Adam Mihalek had a good spring game making kicks from 48 and 52 yards. Travis Freeman has been on the roster since 2019. He has made he All-SEC Academic roster twice but has yet to see game action.
Gators have another kicker coming on campus
The Gators will welcome Trey Smack to the roster this summer. Smack committed to Dan Mullen’s staff but never wavered in his commitment.
“I committed to the school, and I would not say I committed to the coaching staff or anything about it. I’m a student-athlete first,” Smack told Gators Online.
The long line of kickers and specialists at Florida was alluring to Smack.
“They call him Money McPherson,” Smack said. “He’s pretty good, and I know his younger brother too. Florida is a really good reason why I came here, like the kickers here, like Eddy Pineiro is in the league right now and Evan McPherson.”
