Howard to enter transfer portal

By
Ethan Hughes
-

UF kicker Chris Howard has announced his intention to enter the transfer portal.

The Ponta Vedra Beach, Florida, native joined the team as a walk-on prior to the 2017 season. He was the top reserve during the 2019-20 seasons, and he split the kicking duties with Jace Christmann last season.

Howard finishes his Gators career 9-for-11 on field goal attempts, with a long of 42 yards. He also made 42 of his 43 career extra-point attempts.

His departure leaves just two kickers on the roster at the moment in Adam Mihalek and Travis Freeman. Mihalek went 2-for-2 in the Orange and Blue Game, including a 52-yarder that tied for the longest made field goal in spring game history.

Trey Smack, rated the No. 10 kicking recruit in the country, will enroll over the summer and compete for the starting job.

Howard will have just one season of eligibility remaining at wherever he ends up.

Ethan Hughes
Ethan Hughes
Ethan was born in Gainesville and has lived in the Starke, Florida, area his entire life. He played basketball for five years and knew he wanted to be a sportswriter when he was in middle school. He’s attended countless Gators athletic events since his early childhood, with baseball being his favorite sport to attend. He’s a proud 2019 graduate of the University of Florida and a 2017 graduate of Santa Fe College. He interned with the University Athletic Association’s communications department for 1 ½ years as a student and also wrote for InsideTheGators.com for two years before joining Gator Country in 2021. He is a long-suffering fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars. You can follow him on Twitter @ethanhughes97.