Several Florida players will have a chance to go to the NFL after this season, but one candidate who is not getting much attention is kicker Caleb Sturgis.
Sturgis, a senior, is one of the last remaining links to the Gators’ 2008 championship season and has been one of the best kickers in school history. He is closing in on the program record for made field goals as No. 7 Florida heads into Saturday’s home game against Jacksonville State (1 p.m., pay-per-view).
“I think he’s the best place-kicker in the country,” coach Will Muschamp said. “Very dependable when he steps on the field. He’s got an explosive leg.”
Sturgis is 17 of 20 this year, including 3-for-3 from 50 yards or deeper. His 63 career field goals rank second only to Jeff Chandler, who hit 67 from 1997 through 2001.
Sturgis is optimistic that those numbers, along with his average of 63.4 yards per kickoff, will get NFL teams’ attention.
“I hope I’ve done a good enough job to get invited to the things like the (NFL Scouting) Combine and one of the senior (All-Star) games and all that,” he said. “But I’m really not worried about it right now.”
This is Sturgis’ third straight year as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s top kicker.
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