The Texas Longhorns have added kicker/punter Spencer Barnett of Austin Westlake, who recently decommitted from the Colorado State Rams, to their roster.
Barnett will be Texas’ preferred walk-on, according to Horns247. Texas lost starting punter Ryan Sanborn after the 2023 campaign and won’t have scholarship punter Michael Kern, a 2024 recruit who is the fourth-best punter in the country according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, arrive in Austin until the summer.
Barnett, who visited Boston College, Houston, Oklahoma, and Utah in the recruiting process, is renowned for his extraordinary leg strength, which was on display last fall when he made a 59-yard field goal to defeat Ridge Point 31–21.
In 2022, Barnett demonstrated his ability to hit from longer distances with a 48-yard touchdown pass that went through the uprights. He also made a 53-yard pass against Lake Travis.
Barnett is the kind of prospect that fits in well under Banks because of his track record of developing strong legs into reliable contributors. He is ranked by Kohl’s camps as the No. 20 punter and the No. 57 placekicker. Clearly, Kohl’s likes his upside:
Barnett is the punter in the 2024 class with the most raw upside! He received 108.21 points for punting, 107.95 points for kickoffs, and 11 points for field goals at the Underclassman Challenge in January 2023. In October 2022, he also went to a Kohl’s ranking event in Dallas, Texas. At camp, he had one of the more spectacular punt charting sessions, averaging over 45 yards after ten punts.
In May 2022, Barnett went to Kohl’s Texas Showcase camp. His 76-yard, 4.21-second kickoff leg was one of the strongest of the competition. Barnett has the skills to compete at the highest level in collegiate football, and his leg talent bodes well for the future. Barnett participated in the Kohls National Scholarship Camp in 2021 and demonstrated significant technique advancements. With an average of 101.55 points during the kickoff charting, he was able to demonstrate his leg strength. In addition, he scored 18 points while charting field goals.
Barnett provides the much-needed depth at punter in the short term, should Kern struggle once on campus. Ian Ratliff, a sophomore walk-on, is the only other punter on the roster. Barnett also has an opportunity to eventually replace senior Bert Auburn, who has another year of eligibility that he could use in 2025, as Texas only has junior kickoff specialist Will Stone as a scholarship kicker.
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