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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida kicking game was wide left, wide right and everywhere in between in 2015.
Punter Johnny Townsend had no such issues. Townsend was spot on and one of 10 finalists for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the nation's top punter.
A redshirt junior from Orlando, Townsend's career has an unusual arc. As a freshman in 2013, Townsend was expected to redshirt behind Kyle Christy. However, Christy struggled and the Gators turned to Townsend at midseason.
And then in 2014, Christy regained the starter's job and Townsend redshirted. Townsend was the starter from the get-go a season ago and delivered big, averaging 45.4 yards per kick, which ranked third in the country.
Townsend casts a formidable figure for a punter -- he is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and athletic -- and figures to be among the country's top specialists this season. Townsend recently returned from Kohl's Kicking Camp in Wisconsin, where sadly tragedy struck.
Nebraska punter Sam Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler were killed in an automobile accident. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was injured when their car veered off the road in wet conditions and slammed into a tree.
Here is our Three and Out with Townsend:
Q: In retrospect, how much did the redshirt season in 2014 help after you served as the starter in the second half of your freshman season?
A: I think that year actually had a huge impact from a developmental standpoint. I got to play my freshman year and then I got to redshirt and compete against one of the best punters in the country. It allowed me to get out there and see the field and get some experience, and then it allowed me to kind of sit back and evaluate and watch and learn more of the mental aspect.
Q: How well did you know Foltz and Sadler?
A: They were very good friends of mine. It was real emotional and tough on all of us. We're all trying to get through that. I was up there for about four days with them working out and training before it happened. Every year Kohl's Kicking puts on this event for college specialists. They all get together and compete and it basically gives you a better understanding of where you stand amongst all the other specialists in the country.
Q: What is something fans might not know about you?
A: I'm an Eagle Scout. Not many athletes are Eagle Scouts that I know of. I'm a real outdoorsman. I love all that stuff. I started with Cub Scouts in kindergarten and went all the way through high school when I turned 18.
***** SCOUTING THE SPECIALISTS
Kicker Eddy Pineiro during spring camp. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath for UAA)
Player to Watch: Receiver Brandon Powell was Florida's primary kickoff returner a season ago. He ranked 10th in the SEC (21.3 yards per return) and is expected to face competition for the job in preseason camp. An injured foot that required offseason surgery often made Powell look tentative, so if he is healthy and has no limitations, Powell certainly has the speed and quickness to improve his numbers from 2015.
Newcomer to Watch: This is easy. Kicker Eddy Pineiro was one of the stars of the spring game, booting field goals of 52, 46 and 56 yards. He missed a pair of 50-plus yard attempts, but Pineiro showed he has plenty of leg to help the Gators overcome their kicking woes from last season.
Overview: The Gators made only 7 of 17 field goals last year as Austin Hardin (5 of 14) had one of the worst seasons in recent memory for a Florida kicker. Hardin did make a game-winning field goal against Vanderbilt that clinched the SEC East, but head coach Jim McElwain went hard after Pineiro on the recruiting trail and got the former Alabama commit to sign with the Gators. Hardin has moved on and Pineiro and Jorge Powell (2 of 3 on field goals in 2015) are the kickers. If Townsend maintains the consistency he showed a season ago, Florida is in good shape at punter. As for returns, Powell is the most experienced at kickoff return and sophomore receiver Antonio Callaway proved to be a dynamic punt returner in his first season. Callaway averaged 15.5 yards per return and returned two punts for touchdowns, including an 85-yarder in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. Callaway's status remains uncertain as the team reports to camp, but if eligible, he is a dangerous weapon on special teams.
