Notre Dame kicker Spencer Shrader signs undrafted free agent deal with the Indianapolis Colts
Nobody in the history of Notre Dame football has made a longer field goal than Spencer Shrader. The one-year transfer portal rental out of South Florida is parlaying that into an opportunity in the NFL.
Shrader signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
Shrader set the record for longest made field goal in Notre Dame history with a 54-yard connection at NC State. Shrader made four kicks of 50-plus yards, which tied the all-time Fighting Irish record.
Overall, Shrader went 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) in 2023 and 43-of-63 (68.3 percent) in his five-year collegiate career. He was asked to kick seven field goals from 50-plus yards out in his one season at Notre Dame, connecting on the four aforementioned attempts. He was 3-of-6 from 40 to 49 yards and 8-of-9 inside of 40 yards.
Shrader’s big leg is most certainly his greatest asset moving on to the next level. He trained at the same kicking academy, Kornblue Kicking, that produced NFLers Eddy Pinero and Jake Moody and former Notre Dame kicker Kyle Brindza.
“I don’t bring in just anybody,” Brandon Kornblue told Blue & Gold prior to last season. “If I’m going to spend that amount of time and be that concentrated with a kicker, I want it to be somebody who legitimately has a chance. I want to be able to give everything I have to help make that possible.”
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Shrader is now getting that chance despite an admittedly shaky performance at Notre Dame’s Pro Day in late March.
“Today was obviously not the best performance that I was looking for, but I think there are growth opportunities and learning opportunities within that. You move on from it. You allow it to make you mentally stronger and you get ready for the next opportunity.”
Shrader is taking the route of former Notre Dame kicker Blake Grupe, who spent one season in South Bend after five at Arkansas State. Grupe went 14-of-19 for the Fighting Irish in 2022, signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft and worked his way into starting status for the Saints for the duration of the 2023 season. He ended up making 30 of his 37 field goal attempts and all 40 of his extra point tries.
Grupe proved having success as a kicker at the highest level is possible after one season at Notre Dame not going exactly to plan. Now it’s Shrader’s turn to do the same.
