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Notre Dame football to host graduate transfer kicker from USF for official visit

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•12/09/22•

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usf notre dame Spencer Shrader
Then-South Florida kicker Spencer Shrader, who is now with Notre Dame. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Notre Dame is in the market for a kicker. The Fighting Irish are set to host one for an official visit this weekend, BlueandGold.com confirmed Friday afternoon. South Florida graduate transfer Spencer Shrader will be in South Bend.

Shrader is a four-year USF kicking veteran. From 2019-22 in Tampa, Shrader made 95 of his 96 extra points and 28-of-41 field goal attempts. This season, Shrader made 37 extra points and went 9-of-13 on field goal attempts.

Shrader has never missed a field goal from inside 30 yards. From 30-39 yards, he’s 7-of-10. From 40-49 yards, he’s 10-of-16. He’s 1-of-5 from beyond 50 with his one connection coming from 52 yards out in 2021.

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Notre Dame is in search for a replacement for Arkansas State one-year transfer rental Blake Grupe, who made all 43 of his extra point attempts and 13-of-18 field goal attempts in his lone season with the Irish. Without Grupe, Notre Dame is slated to go into the 2023 season with juniors Josh Bryan and Chris Salerno and sophomore Zac Yoakam as the only kickers on the roster as it currently stands. The latter two are walk-ons.

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Shrader hails from Lithia (Fla.) Newsome High School. He was a 2021 Lou Groza Award semifinalist. That was his best collegiate season to date; he made 35 extra points and connected on 11-of-13 field goal attempts. His misses came from 51 and 48 yards. Shrader also handled kickoff duties for the Bulls that season, and he had 35 touchbacks on 57 attempts.

Yoakam was Notre Dame’s kickoff specialist this season. Rising sophomore Bryce McFerson is expected to battle him for the job going into the 2023 campaign. All the Irish need in Shrader is someone to consistently hit place kicks. If he could get back to being the player he was in 2021, then Notre Dame would be getting a good one.

Shrader was a three-time soccer MVP and four-time tennis MVP in high school. He spent several months in Brazil and Canada pursuing a professional soccer career before enrolling at USF in 2019. He walked on that year and was used in a variety of roles from place-kicker to punter. He also recorded one rushing attempt for a gain of 22 yards.

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