Tag: Chris Howard

Florida kicker put on spring scholarship

At least one walk-on at Florida is being put on scholarship for the spring semester, according to Billy Napier.

After serving as the team’s primary kicker in 2022, walk-on [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] has been awarded a scholarship for the spring semester, according to head coach Billy Napier during his national signing day press conference.

While Mihalek is the only walk-on being put on scholarship right now, Napier said that the team would continue to evaluate over the spring with one spot still freed up. For Napier, the move was an obvious one after Mihalek served as a starter for the entirety of the 2022 season.

“We did. Adam in particular,” Napier replied when asked if the team had put anyone on scholarship for the offseason. “He’s certainly very deserving. His role and how he contributed to our team this past year. We’ll have a handful more, but I think we’re going to observe the work this spring before we make those decisions.”

Mihalek passed up scholarship offers out of high school from Liberty, Navy and Stetson to play at Florida, and that gamble is paying off after two years with the program. He didn’t appear in a game in 2021 but quickly became the team’s only option after [autotag]Chris Howard[/autotag] transferred and [autotag]Jace Christmann[/autotag] graduated. Mihalek was the lone kicker on the team for a month or two before true freshman [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] enrolled over the summer, giving him a head start on the competition.

He made 14 of 21 field goal attempts for Florida in 2022, but three of those misses were from 50 yards or more. Mihalek hit as many 50-yarders as he missed too, nailing three throughout the year. He also extended the school’s historic scoring streak to 436 games with a late field goal against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

[mm-video type=video id=01gqnamtcc7z2cq9yqtw playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gqnamtcc7z2cq9yqtw/01gqnamtcc7z2cq9yqtw-3ba3911def3cdc2d1ce2a297e4e42620.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=100750,100707,100705,100703,100627]

[listicle id=100633]

[listicle id=100677]

[listicle id=100739]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida kicker Chris Howard to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal

Florida redshirt senior kicker Chris Howard announced on Twitter Monday that he will play his final season of college football elsewhere.

Florida redshirt senior kicker [autotag]Chris Howard[/autotag] announced his decision on Twitter to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Monday. He only has one year left of eligibility.

“Gator Nation, thank you for the countless memories, the relationships that will last a lifetime, and for the endless support over the last five years,” Howard wrote. “To all my coaches, trainers, professors, and to everyone else who contributed to making my journey at Florida so special, I cannot begin to say how grateful I am for the opportunities.

“As I enter my 6th and final year of my collegiate football career, my family and I have decided it’s time to see where the next stop on my journey will take me. I will be entering the transfer portal with 1 year of eligibility remaining and am beyond excited to see what’s next. Thanks again, and Go Gators!”

Howard handled the responsibilities in the short-kicking game while Mississippi State transfer [autotag]Jace Christmann[/autotag] was tasked with attempting deeper field goals. Howard went seven for nine on field-goal tries with the longest one coming in at 42 yards. He also converted 31 out of 32 extra-point attempts in 2021.

The media observed Howard leaving many practices early with the group of players, going to rehab for an injury they suffered. For the Orange and Blue game, Howard wasn’t on the Blue team with the rest of the first-team offense. Instead, it was redshirt freshman walk-on [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] who nailed his attempts from 48 and 52 yards out. Howard missed his only try from 32 yards out.

[mm-video type=video id=01g1jx7xv8pjszsjch6f playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g1jx7xv8pjszsjch6f/01g1jx7xv8pjszsjch6f-2e713e1fdceac1c75dd4f45ded3dcc24.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82910,82908,82887,82880,82863]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Competition for Florida’s starting kicker job is reportedly still open

Jace Christmann is expected to be the starter, but don’t count out redshirt senior Chris Howard.

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.

[lawrence-related id=49585,48560]

“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.

[lawrence-related id=49669,49666,49642,49619,49617]

[listicle id=48013]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Kicker Chris Howard will compete to replace Evan McPherson in 2021

Kicker Chris Howard has only seen limited action during his UF career, but he could be Florida’s primary kicker in 2021.

Name: Chris Howard

Number: 71

Position: Placekicker

Class: Redshirt Junior

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 207 lbs

Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

High School: Ponte Vedra

Twitter: @Chris_Howard17

2020 statistics:

FG% FG LNG XPM XPA PTS
100 2-2 32 7 7 13

Overview:

Rated as a five-star player and the No. 23 kicker in the 2017 class by Kohl’s Kicking, Howard turned a successful career at Ponte Vedra High School into a preferred walk-on offer from the Gators. He joined the roster in 2017, playing behind starter Eddy Piñeiro, and he redshirted the season.

He didn’t appear in a game as a redshirt freshman in 2018, though he did appear on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He saw his first game action the following season in 2019, when he appeared in three games. He was 4 for 4 on extra-point attempts, and he averaged 55 yards on three kickoffs.

He only played in two games in 2020 as a redshirt junior, but he saw significant action in one of them as Florida’s top kicker when Evan McPherson was unavailable against Missouri. He made all five of his extra-point attempts in that game and also drilled two field goals. Howard also attempted a kickoff and converted on an extra point in UF’s win over Arkansas.

With McPherson heading to the NFL, Howard will be one of several kickers competing for the top spot in 2021, alongside Mississippi State transfer Jace Christmann and 2021 recruit Adam Mihalek, who the Gators added as a preferred walk-on.

Video:

WATCH: Dan Mullen talks defense, backup kicker Chris Howard

Watch Florida head coach Dan Mullen discuss his opinion on his team’s effort on defense last Saturday as well as unsung hero Chris Howard.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”nQQHyI8Eul-1024183-9892″]

After Florida’s dominating win over Missouri on Saturday, coach Dan Mullen, clad in his Darth Vader costume, said he was proud of the defense’s performance.

The Gators held the Tigers to just 248 yards of offense, the least they’ve allowed this season, by far.

“We’ve all got to play together as a team,” Mullen said. “You don’t know how the game’s going to play out through four quarters, but defensively, the guys look and say, ‘If we make stops and give the offense the ball enough, we’re going to make plays.'”

“That just shows our guys sticking together as a whole team and just saying, ‘Hey, keep sticking, keep going, keep going and good things are going to happen.'”

Mullen also praised the play of backup placekicker Chris Howard, who made the start with Evan McPherson unavailable. Howard, a junior, made both of his field-goal attempts from 28 and 32 yards out, and he was also perfect on his five extra-point attempts.

“He did a great job,” Mullen said. “We have a lot of confidence in him, I think the team does, they see it in practice all the time. I knew I have a lot of trust in him and trust that he’s going to go out there and go perform. You have such a great deal with Evan (McPherson), but a guy come in and being able to play that way, I’m really proud of him and his performance.”

Howard’s performance gives Florida a bit of confidence if McPherson still isn’t ready to go against Georgia on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=27340,27323,27321,27317,27313,27311]