Florida earns transfer pledge from former Texas A&M kicker
By David Wasson
Published:
The Florida Gators added some homegrown talent out of the transfer portal Saturday, when former Texas A&M kicker Liam Padron announced his commitment to the team for the 2026 season.
Padron did not attempt a field goal or point-after try during his 2 seasons in College Station. He kicked off once in 2024 and kicked off 5 times in 2025 – including 4 times against Samford on Nov. 22. He has 3 seasons of eligibility remaining to use at Florida.
A St. Augustine, Fla., native, Padron signed with Texas A&M in the class of 2024 over offers from Syracuse and Appalachian State.
Padron is the sixth special teams player to commit to Florida out of the transfer portal. Former Tulane punter Alec Clark and kicker Patrick Durkin join former Louisiana long snapper Carter Milliron, former UT-Martin punter Miller Fealy, and former Washington long snapper Hunter Swolwold as those specialists finding new homes in Gainesville.
Durkin operated as Tulane’s starting kicker for new Florida coach Jon Sumrall during the entire 2025 season and for five games during the 2024 campaign. Durkin connected on 27-of-32 field goal attempts, including four conversions of 50-plus yards, and 57-of-58 PATs in his career.
Sumrall replaced the fired Billy Napier at Florida after coaching the Green Wave to their first-ever College Football Playoff berth.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
