As a freshman in 2016, Florida K Eddy Pineiro quickly became a very valuable player for the Gators, making 21 of his 25 field-goal attempts and going 3-for-3 from beyond 50 yards.

It’s safe to say Pineiro’s outstanding rookie campaign caught the eye of former Florida K Caleb Sturgis, who now kicks for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sturgis, who holds the Eagles’ single-season record with 35 field goals made, trains with Pineiro in the offseason and recently told FloridaGators.com that he thinks Pineiro can be even better as a sophomore this fall:

“Eddy, he took the city by storm, everybody loves him. All he’s done is come and done a great job and made huge kicks,” Sturgis said recently. “I see him continuing that this year. It’s special, obviously, when a kicker gets that much attention and he proves himself each and every day with that attention. He’s special and he’ll be playing on Sundays.”

If Pineiro does indeed take another step forward this fall, he may one day join Sturgis in the NFL. But, for now, he’ll focus on trying to help the Gators win a third-straight SEC East title.