Florida has the difficult task in replacing the most accurate kicker in SEC history in Evan McPherson this season. Though it will be hard to find someone quite as reliable as the fifth-round pick was during his UF career, the Gators have a couple of intriguing candidates.
The guy many expected to be the starter is Jace Christmann, a transfer from Mississippi State who coach Dan Mullen initially recruited back in 2017. Christmann was one of the better kickers in Bulldogs history statistically, but he lost his starting job in 2020 under new coach Mike Leach. For his career, he’s 32 of 40 on field-goal attempts and only missed one of his 128 PATs.
He rejoined Mullen in Gainesville this offseason, with many assuming he would replace McPherson. But he won’t take that job without a fight.
Redshirt senior Chris Howard has been this team’s backup for the last four years, but his consistency isn’t lost on the coaches. When McPherson missed the game against Missouri in 2020 due to COVID-19, Howard made the start and was 5 for 5 on PATs and 2 for 2 on field goals.
Mullen discussed the competition between the two on Thursday.
“Yeah, it’ll be a good little competition between those two guys,” Mullen said, according to Bob Redman of 247Sports. “You know, obviously, Chris has been with the program since I’ve been here and I’ve seen unbelievable improvement of him from one year to the next within our program. I think, comes into the year with a lot of confidence.
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“And then obviously, Jace, knowing Jace, recruiting Jace out of high school, having him play for me. Heck, you know, I mean he scored the points the last time we were in a stadium and I was just on the opposite sideline this time. He’s the one that scored the points when we went out there to play him a couple years ago at Mississippi State against us. So, I know that he has experience and a background.”
Given Christmann’s starting experience, it would seem that he remains the favorite to win the job. But Howard certainly can’t be counted out, and Mullen said he expects the competition to help both players.
“It’ll be a good little battle for those two guys,” he said. “But I think they work together and it gives us the opportunity to make sure we have two kickers that are ready to go play.”
The kicking competition will be one of several intriguing position battles to keep an eye on as we approach kickoff for the 2021 season.
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