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Texas has another Shipley

by: Evan Vieth14 hours ago
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Mason Shipley (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

No, we aren’t talking about Parker Livingstone, the lanky wide receiver who shares eerily similar attributes and characteristics to those of former Longhorn great Jordan Shipley. We can’t quite put a finger on what those similarities are, though.

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We’re talking about Mason Shipley, Texas’ newest answer at the kicker position.

Shipley is a Liberty Hill product, having played alongside his twin brother Matthew his whole life. While Mason started as a walk-on kicker at Oklahoma State before eventually transferring to Texas State, his brother got the chance to make his name for himself in the CFP world.

Matthew knocked in 56 field goals in four years at Hawaii before using his last season of eligibility to transfer to Arkansas in 2024. Matthew was productive for the Razorbacks, having multiple games with three or more field goals made, including a win at Mississippi State. With his experience kicking in hostile environments, Mason was able to earn a few pointers before heading to Texas.

“It was good to have him go through it, being in the SEC and whatnot. But he was at Hawaii the past four years before Arkansas,” Shipley said. “Basically, he said it’s all the same—kicking, snapping, holding, everything’s the same no matter where you are.”

While Matthew was making his way into the SEC, Mason was quietly becoming one of the nation’s best kickers. He led the Sun Belt in extra points in 2023 while making every single field goal he attempted. Even with a few misses in 2024, he was awarded a spot on the Lou Groza Award Watchlist, given to the best kicker in the nation.

After two straight good seasons in San Marcos, Shipley saw his chance to do something more.

“Just opportunity, right? I mean, the game of football has changed. You’ve got NIL and all these other factors coming into it. The arena of the stage that Texas is at, being where they are. I mean, being at Texas State, you’re not getting as much recognition,” Shipley said. “I could have been comfortable there, right? But I think just the stage here, the opportunity that Texas has, for me, was just much bigger than that aspect. So that’s why I chose here.”

Shipley’s choice is already paying off for the Longhorns. After a 2024 season that saw failures all over the special teams unit, Texas knew it needed change. Shipley was added in the spring transfer portal, sending Bert Auburn off to Miami, and the new kicker has already hit his first field goal—a 47-yarder last Saturday against San Jose State.

“That’s a good feeling, but that’s the job. PATs feel the same. Every point counts,” Shipley said. “I like to live by that—every kick counts.”

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