Tag: Trey Smack

Four Gators named to Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team

Florida rostered isn’t loaded with Preseason All-Conference talent, but these four Gators are standing out among the rest.

The SEC released its three Preseason Coaches All-Conference Football Team rosters on Thursday, and four Florida Gators made the cut.

Running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]., cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] made the Second Team, and kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] earned Third Team honors. All four are returning players expected to lead their respective units.

Johnson has rushed for 800-plus yards in all three years of his college career, two of which came as a Gator. Last year, he split carries with Trevor Etienne, who is now with Georgia and earned a First Team nod. Fans were always going to compare the two, but this adds some fuel to the fire.

Marshall is a four-year veteran at Florida who has first-round draft hopes. He’s a former five-star recruit who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, but he’s the clear No. 1 in the cornerbacks room in Gainesville this season.

Crawshaw and Smack are the two faces of the special team unit because they interact with the ball a lot. It’s not always up to them whether a play is a success, but they’ll receive all the praise (or criticism) after every kick.

Georgia placed a league-leading 15 players across the three rosters, followed by Alabama with 14 and Texas with 10. Twelve schools had at least one first-team All-SEC player (not Florida), and nine schools had multiple first-team selections.

All three lists can be found in their entirety here.

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Gators placekicker named to Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List

Florida’s Trey Smack is looking to become the first Gator to earn the Lou Groza Award in over three decades.

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced on Friday its Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List, which included a member of the Florida Gators on this year’s roster. Kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] got the nod for the first time in his collegiate career.

The junior out of Severna Park, Maryland, took over the starting job in Week 3 of the 2023 campaign at home against the Tennessee Volunteers. Smack finished out the season by going 17-for-21 (81%) in field goal attempts while boasting a 100% extra point mark on 29 attempts.

As a result of his efforts, he earned the Lou Groza Star of the Week honor twice (Week 4 and Week 7) while also being named a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist in 2023.

The Orange and Blue have just one previous Lou Groza Award winner. Judd Davis took home the award in 1993 when he went 15-for-19 (79%) on field goal attempts while also chipping in 51 of 53 (96%) extra-point attempts.

Lou Groza Award overview

Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and 20 semifinalists will be announced by the commission on Tuesday, Nov. 19. From this list, a panel of FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers will select the top three finalists for the award, to be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

The winner will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 12, during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. The 33rd Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet on December 9th in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lou Groza Award history

The award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a specialist kicker.

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Eight Gators on Phil Steele’s 2024 Preseason All-SEC Teams

Florida returns several of the conference’s best players, including these eight who made the Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC Teams.

The Florida Gators regularly produce some of the best talent in the SEC, so it isn’t surprising to see eight UF players named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American Teams

A pair of seniors — running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] — made the first team.

Johnson transferred from Lousiana, following head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and has been the main man in Florida’s backfield since. He’s passed the 800-yard mark on the ground in both of his seasons in Gainesville and scored 15 rushing touchdowns as a Gator. Crawshaw is one of the nation’s premier legs and is among the punters Florida has ever rostered.

Senior cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and junior inside linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] join long-snapper [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag] on Steel’s All-SEC Second Team.

A former five-star recruit, Marshall has yet to live up to expectations at the college level, but he’s considered a top draft prospect and will be tested as such. James is a bit more proven, but he’s coming off a serious knee injury that could change how he plays.

Left tackle and leader of Florida offensive line [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] joins kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] on the Third Team.

Barber also missed time with an injury last season, but he’s the anchor in the trenches for the Gators. He’ll have some help from the transfer portal this season, but look for him to play the same role up front for UF. Smack took over the starting kicker role for [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] in 2023. He made all 29 extra points he attempted and made 17 of 21 field goals, including a pair of 50-plus-yarders.

Rounding out the list is sophomore safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] on the Fourth Team. Pro Football Focus ranked him fifth among freshman safeties who played at least 20% of his team’s snaps.

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Top 2025 TE recruiting target offers notes on recent official visit with Florida

Florida’s top tight end target stopped in the Swamp last weekend for an official visit.

Florida football hosted four-star tight end [autotag]Andrew Olesh[/autotag] out of Center Valley (Pennsylvania) Southern Lehigh in the 2025 cycle last weekend on an official visit and the rising high school senior seemingly had a positive experience in Gainesville.

“Just the people there and the environment. I can relate,” Olesh told 247Sports. “Coach (Russ) Callaway, he is one of my favorite coaches ever. I like the people there.”

The 6-foot-5-inch, 215-pound end was hosted by kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] while on campus for his OV.

“They are so cool to hang out with. They are awesome people and I can relate to them. They introduced me to the whole Florida thing and they took me around campus. They are just great people.”

Of course, he also spent some time with head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag].

“Coach Napier has been telling me that if I really do like Florida, make sure I am in touch. Pretty much make a decision when you have a feel for an environment and make sure you go to a program that cares for you.”

Recruiting Summary

Olesh is ranked No. 130 overall and No. 5 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 115 and 5, respectively.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine has the Penn State Nittany Lions out front in his recruitment with a 44.5% chance of signing him; the Michigan Wolverines (14.4%), Alabama Crimson Tide (12.3%) and Florida (10.3%) trail behind.

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Florida kicker Trey Smack names SEC Special Teams Players of the Week

Florida’s sophomore kicker, Trey Smack, earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after nailing all five field goal in Week 4.

Most of Florida’s points during Saturday’s 22-7 win over the Charlotte 49ers came off the foot of sophomore [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag], who was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.

Smack nailed all five field goal attempts made in his first start as a placekicker for the Gators. He drilled a 27-yarder in the first quarter and a 23-yarder in the second, but those were merely a warmup for a 54-yard attempt that split the uprights with eight minutes to go in the half.

With that 54-yard kick, Smack locked himself in as Florida’s placekicker moving forward, and he also etched his name in the history books. Smack’s field goal was the seventh-longest in Gators history, and no Florida kicker has made five in a game since Eddy Pineiro in 2017 against UAB.

“Hats off to Trey Smack to step up and hit all five of those,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said after the game.

Smack is the third Gator this week to earn SEC Player of the Week honors. Jordan Castell (Freshman) and Cam Jackson (Co-Defensive Lineman) were honored after Week 3’s upset win against Tennessee.

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Twitter Reactions: Low-scoring Orange and Blue Game draws mixed reviews

It was a low-scoring affair in Gainesville on Thursday as Team Orange took down Team Blue in the Gators’ spring game. Here’s how social media reacted throughout the night.

Florida’s 2023 Orange and Blue game didn’t generate a ton of confidence in the new-look offense, especially at quarterback, as the game was decided on a 46-yard field goal from [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] with no time left on the clock. Team Orange won, 10-7.

The spring game is always an interesting night for any college football team. Expectations are set for the coming season, but most fans know that what’s seen in April is rarely what you get in September.

All eyes were on Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], who is considered the favorite to start at quarterback over [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag], but neither signal-caller shined early. Both found a receiver for a score in the second quarter, but Mertz won the night finishing 18-29 for 244 yards over Miller’s 10 of 20 for 141 yards.

Billy Napier praised his defense in an attempt to make a rather boring exhibition appear more fruitful than it was.

“A lot of young players getting an opportunity to play,” Napier said when asked of his thoughts on the game during the fourth quarter. “New players, alright? Overall, the defense made it a lot harder. You certainly have to be pleased with that given where we’re at as a team. Unbelievable experience for this group. Great film to teach and learn from.”

It wasn’t the greatest or most inspiring spring game any team has ever put together, but Florida has the pieces to build a better team than it had a year ago. Losing [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] hurt, but the defense has taken a step forward, and the running game should still be strong even if it wasn’t on full display tonight.

Here’s how fans and experts reacted throughout the night.

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.

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Depth Chart: Shorter returns from injury, Henderson out

The Gators are getting one starting receiver back this weekend but are losing another to injury. Check out the team’s depth chart ahead of the matchup with Vanderbilt.

The Florida Gators are getting back their top receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], this week, but they’ll also be down their No. 2 at the position with [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] making his way to the injury list.

Shorter has missed the past two weeks with an injury, but he’s now expected to return to his starting role with [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] at the other wide receiver spot. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag], who made his first career start for Florida against South Carolina and currently has the fifth-most receiving yards of any pass catcher on the roster, is listed behind Shorter as a second-string option. He was thrust into a starting role when Shorter and [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] hit the injury report, but it appears that Burke will get a shot this week.

Henderson has served as Florida’s punt returner for most of the year, so slot receiver Ricky Pearsall will step in to fill that role while he is out.

[autotag]Ja’Markis Weston[/autotag] is making is debut on the depth chart this week as a third-string option at receiver behind Pearsall and [autotag]Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman[/autotag].

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is also off the injury report, but he’ll serve as the team’s third-string option, presumably to ease him back into playing time. [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the listed starter with [autotag]Jonathon Odom[/autotag] behind him. Odom scored his first career touchdown last weekend.

Kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] also remain on the injury report. Smack has been sidelined for two weeks now and was seen warming up before the South Carolina game but he wasn’t able to go. Moore’ season is over following surgery and the team hopes to get him back for offseason workouts.

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Depth Chart: Gators light at WR ahead of Week 11 matchup with South Carolina

The Gators might be thin at wide receiver this weekend when South Carolina comes to the Swamp.

The Florida Gators are still dealing with injuries, particularly at the wide receiver position, according to the Week 11 depth chart update released Wednesday evening.

The team’s leading receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], is still listed as questionable after missing the Texas A&M game, and backup [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] is out with an upper-body injury. Fraziars made his first-career start against the Aggies last week, so Florida will be down to it’s reserve options on Saturday.

Shorter is still listed as the starter, but freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] is set to make his first career start if he can’t go. Behind him and [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] will be Marcus Burke and [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] with [autotag]Kahleil Jackson[/autotag] as another option. [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is the starter in the slot.

The wide receiver room isn’t the only position group to deal with injuries. Starting left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] was added to the injury report and is listed as questionable with an upper-body injury. White is still listed as the starter, but that decision will be made as kickoff approaches.

Freshman kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag], who has exclusively served as Florida’s kickoff man this season, is out for a second straight week after missing the Texas A&M game. [autotag]Travis Freeman [/autotag]will back up [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] for all kicking duties.

At linebacker, [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] is back on the depth chart and off the injury report. He’s listed as a third-team option behind [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag].

Tight end Keon Zipperer will miss a second-straight game, and that’s all for the depth chart update this week. [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] are all out as well.

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Florida going with a new kickoff man against Eastern Washington

Among the many changes made to Florida’s depth chart this week, it looks like true freshman Trey Smack is Florida’s man for kickoffs against Eastern Washington.

Florida true freshman kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] will make his collegiate debut on Sunday when the Gators host the Eastern Washington Eagles, according to 247Sports.

Smack will take over for [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] on kickoffs this week, but the walk-on will still be the team’s primary leg on extra points and field goals. Mihalek has been solid through the first four weeks of the season, hitting three of four field goal attempts, including a 50-yarder against Kentucky. His only miss came from beyond 50 in the Tennessee game, so he’s really done no wrong this year.

Still, Smack was competing with Mihalek for the job until “a minor ailment” limited him in fall camp. Now that he’s healthy, Smack could pick up right where he left off.

It’ll be interesting to see how Napier manages Smack’s redshirt situation. After missing the first four games, he could appear in half of Florida’s remaining games and retain his eligibility for the year. If he’s only doing kickoffs for the team, that seems like a likely scenario.

Right now, the job is Mihalek’s to lose and he’s not showing signs of regression as the season carries on. He’s hit all 10 extra point attempts this season, and a miss from 50-plus yards isn’t going to hurt his reputation too much.

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