Florida adds 2011 walk-on punter Todd Fennell

Looking for competition for freshman three-star punter Kyle Christy (Brownsburg, IN), the Florida Gators have accepted a walk-on commitment from Todd Fennell (Vero Beach, FL), OGGOA exclusively learned on Monday.

“Todd’s a high level student and wanted a strong athletic and academic school. He grew up a Gator fan and Florida fit the type of school he was looking for,” his kicking coach, Brandon Kornblue, told us in an interview. “He was really impressed with how the staff and players welcomed him on his unofficial visit. With Chas Henry graduating, the coaches told him they want him to compete for the starting spot.”

Listed at 6’2” and 185 lbs., Fennell made his decision on Sunday, picking Florida over an opportunity to be a preferred walk-on at N.C. State. Michigan was also highly considering offering him an chance to compete, Kornblue said.

“Good punters are tougher to find than good kickers and Todd is a pure punter. He’s also a good athlete, similar to how Henry was out of high school,” he explained. “He doesn’t have the leg strength or size that Henry has but very few do. Punting at the college level is all about consistency, so if Todd can get a little stronger and comfortable mentally in that environment, he’ll have a good chance to contribute.”

Fennell, also Vero Beach High School’s staring quarterback, is an unranked prospect.

Photo Credit: Michael C. Bielecki