After inking with Clemson one week ago today, one of the Tigers’ class of 2022 signees is ecstatic to get on campus in just a couple of weeks and begin his career as a Tiger.
Robert Gunn, one of the nation’s top-ranked kickers, signed with Clemson on Wednesday, Dec. 15, the first day of college football’s early signing period.
As a midyear enrollee, the Sunshine State native will report to campus on Jan. 8 to begin the next chapter of his life and football career.
“Super pumped that I signed with Clemson,” Gunn told The Clemson Insider recently. “Super (excited) that I can’t wait to get up there in a couple of weeks and start my career.”
A product of Pinellas Park High School in Largo, Fla., Gunn is ranked as the seventh-best kicker in the nation by PrepStar and was an all-conference selection at both punter and placekicker in both 2020 and 2021. He played in the USA vs. Japan All-Star game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in January 2020, recording field goals of 40 and 50 yards in that game.
In his final two years at Pinellas Park, Gunn had 52 touchbacks on 55 kickoffs and went 46-for-48 on extra points while hitting on 7-of-9 field goal tries. His team did not attempt many field goals, but he made season longs of 57 yards in 2021 and 46 yards in 2020.
Gunn’s goals heading into his Clemson career are simple.
“Give it 100 percent and be the best kicker!” he said.
Gunn made 3-of-4 field goals, went 18-for-18 on extra points and recorded 20 touchbacks on 21 kickoffs in 2021 before an ACL tear in his right (kicking) leg prematurely ended his senior campaign. The good news is he expects to be cleared for kicking again in May.
After he enrolls at Clemson next month, Gunn will have the opportunity to learn from the Tigers’ veteran kicker, B.T. Potter, a 2020 Lou Groza Award semifinalist and 2021 second-team All-ACC selection.
Dabo Swinney believes the return of Potter for one more season at Clemson in 2022 will be “a blessing” for Gunn.
“I promise you, nobody’s gonna be happier than Robert Gunn,” Swinney said, “that he’ll have the opportunity to really kind of mentor with B.T. for a year.”
Gunn couldn’t agree more with his new head coach.
“I am so eager to have someone like that as a mentor and also to look up to,” Gunn said of Potter. “I can watch and ask questions about things and have some fun with competition but also pushing each other to be better and grow as friends.”
“(It will) also give me more time to heal up and come back even stronger,” he added.
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