Despite the difficulties that Florida Football supporters have had with the Gators’ special teams, Billy Napier has maintained an optimistic attitude. He admitted some organisational problems, but he also stated that the unit’s overall metrics are solid.
Trey Smack and Jeremy Crawshaw, two of the country’s greatest kickers, lead that unit. One made the national watchlist for his position, while the other was curiously left off.
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Smack didn’t start as the kicker for the Gators at the beginning of the 2023 season, but after Adam Mihalek struggled, Smack took over.
Smack made 17 of his 21 attempts, including two out of three from beyond 50 yards, and went 11 for 11 from inside 40 yards. He has been named to the Lou Groza Award preseason watchlist, which honors the best placekicker in the country at the end of the season.
Crawshaw, meanwhile, punted 42 times for 2,052 yards. His average of 48.9 yards per punt was the second-highest in the country, and he was one of just 22 punters with an average over 45 yards.
Despite his impressive stats, Crawshaw wasn’t included on the Ray Guy Award watchlist, which features 33 punters competing for the title of the best punter in the country.