After initially entering the NCAA Transfer Portal during the winter window, former Florida Gators kicker Hunter Smith has announced his commitment.
Smith, who spent the 2024 season with the Gators after stints at FAU (2023) and NAIA Warner (2021-22), will spend his final collegiate season at Western Michigan, he announced Friday. Warner holds one year of eligibility after redshirting with the Owls as a junior.Smith did not appear in any games for the Gators after joining as a walk-on to be Trey Smack’s primary backup and competing to backup Jeremy Crawshaw at punter. The Gainesville native missed three field goals and shanked a punt in the 2024 spring game, while both Smack and Crawshaw went on to have strong seasons.
He also did not appear in a game for FAU, but had his best success in his freshman year at Warner. He went 6-for-9 on field goal attempts with a long of 44 yards while averaging 44.8 yards per punt. Smith saw a dip in production as a sophomore as a kicker, going 4-for-12 on field goals with four blocked kicks, but his production as a punter increased with a 53.3-yard average.
Smith’s initial decision to transfer did not come as a massive surprise either as NCAA roster cuts will limit the number of walk-ons a team can have, Smack returns for his final season and the Gators add
Smith is the third former Gator to announce a transfer decision after the spring portal window initially opened and the last of the winter portal entries to make a decision. Recently, Florida saw defensive lineman D’Antre Robinson and walk-on long snapper Gannon Burt both transfer to North Carolina, while safety Gregory Smith III is prediction to join the Tar Heels.
Florida also saw walk-on quarterback Lawrence Wright IV and walk-on offensive lineman Chase Stevens depart from the program after spring camp
