Smack Headlines NFL Talent Among Gators' Specialists

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Trey Smack remembers when Jeremy Crawshaw got the call that the Denver Broncos would be selecting him in the 2025 NFL Draft.

"We were (at Crawshaw's draft party) for a while, and I was like, 'Alright, I think I'm going to head out.' About 20 minutes later, he gets picked up by the Broncos. I'm like, 'I missed it. No way I missed it,'" he said Tuesday. "And right as he got picked up, I was at a concert, like, a little music concert festival with my roommates and stuff. And I started screaming, everybody's looking around, like, ' What are you doing, man?' So, yeah, it was just such an awesome moment seeing somebody that is really close to me just succeed in the NFL."

Crawshaw, the only punter selected in this year's draft, continued a trend of specialists from the Florida Gators to be taken in the NFL Draft, following in the footsteps of recent draftees such as kicker Evan McPherson (2021), punter Johnny Townsend (2018) and kicker Caleb Sturgis (2013).

Not to mention, Florida has sent others to the league as undrafted free agents in kicker Eddy Piniero and punter Tommy Townsend.

Smack, seeing Florida send another specialist to the league, this time first-hand, is using that as motivation going into his senior season.

"I mean, with Florida, it's such a good resume of Eddy Pineiro, Evan McPherson, now Jeremy and Caleb Sturgis back in the day. They've got such a good track record here," he said. "And I just want to live up to that expectation, because there's been so many good Gator greats going to NFL."

The Severna Park, Maryland, native is one of three seniors headlining Florida's special teams unit alongside long snapper Rocco Underwood, who won the Patrick Mannelly Award for being the nation's top long snapper a year ago, and transfer punter Tommy Doman, a two-year starter and national champion at Michigan.

Underwood, a teammate of Crawshaw's, and Doman, who arrived on campus while Crawshaw was training for the NFL, also got to see the now-Bronco's work ethic and what it takes to make an NFL roster.

"There’s a long lineage of really good specialists play at the University of Florida, and those three guys take a ton of pride in that," special teams coordinator Joe Houston said. "And it is enlightening that they can watch someone who they’ve shared the locker room with for the last three or four years with Jeremy, and seeing him being the first punter taken and going through Pro Day and going through the combine and seeing that experience first-hand is priceless, it really is."

Houston, who has NFL coaching experience, wholeheartedly believes the trio are NFL-caliber players. Still, he emphasized the need for the three to stay in the moment as the Gators prepare for the 2025 campaign.

"With Rocco (Underwood), Tommy (Doman), and Trey (Smack), they’re all NFL players, NFL caliber talent. My big thing is this; number one, no one is going to have higher expectations than the players and coaches in our locker room, and so how we manage that is by staying present," he said. "You can’t focus on the past, you can’t focus on the future, you just have to be where your feet are, and you got to maximize, cherish, and value every day."

Relating to Smack, Houston believes he will be one of the top kickers in next year's draft because of his collegiate consistency.

In his career, Smack is a perfect 72-for-72 on extra points, 35-for-42 on field goals with only three misses a year ago (5-for-7 from kicks at least 50 yards out) and has a touchback on nearly 75 percent of his kickoffs.

“There will become a time where he’ll be ready for the NFL," Houston said. "Relative to his talent, he’s definitely NFL talent, he only missed three kicks last year and they were all three field goals. He’s kicking off at a high level. He’ll definitely be one of the top kickers in this class, but the main thing is just managing those expectations by staying present.”