As Indiana is the latest to attest, placekickers are football players too. As such, they aren’t immune from the pull of the portal.
The latest such example of the phenomenon is Nathanael Snyder, with 247Sports.com confirming that the fifth-year senior has entered the NCAA transfer database. Subsequent to that, an Indiana football official confirmed that Snyder is indeed in the portal.
Snyder would be leaving the Indiana football team as a graduate transfer. That would allow him to play immediately at another FBS school in 2020. The upcoming season would serve as his final year of eligibility.
Now, for the disclaimer.
As we’ve stated myriad times in the past, a player can remove his name from the portal and remain at the same school. At this point, though, other programs are permitted to contact Snyder without receiving permission from the Indiana football program.
NCAA bylaws also permit schools to pull a portal entrant’s scholarship at the end of the semester in which he entered it.
Snyder joined the Indiana football team in 2016. The first three seasons, the Indiana native didn’t see the field. This past season, Snyder appeared in all 13 games.
In 2019, Snyder served as the Hoosiers’ kickoff specialist. In that action, he recorded 24 touchbacks with a 59.9 average on 55 kickoffs.
As you may have inferred, Snyder hasn’t yet attempted a kick, either a field goal of point-after, at the collegiate level.
Snyder is the fifth Indiana football player to enter the portal the past two months. Included in that are quarterback Peyton Ramsey (HERE), running back Ronnie Walker (HERE), offensive lineman Coy Cronk (HERE) and running back Sampson James (HERE).
Ramsey ultimately made his move to Northwestern. Sampson, meanwhile, reversed course and pulled his name out of the NCAA transfer database.