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Steve Weyler, a 5'11" 170 pound kicker from Cardinal O'Hara High School and Springfield, PA, signed a National Letter of Intent with the Villanova Wildcats football program today, the school announced. Weyler handled both kicking and punting duties in high school, and will likely have the opportunity to do both at Villanova.
Steve Weyler committed to Villanova in late-June, becoming the third verbal commitment of the 2014 class. Weyler was getting FBS looks from Stanford and Miami (FL) among others, but decided to commit to Villanova early because they offered him a full scholarship.
It's unusual for kickers to receive scholarships so early in the recruiting process, even at the FBS level, so Villanova's offer tells you a lot about what they think of Weyler. Here's the kicking/punting depth chart heading into 2014.
| Class | Position | Name | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | PK | Chris Gough | 6'3" | 185 lbs. |
| Sophomore | P/PK | John Hinchen | 5'11" | 165 lbs. |
Mark Hamilton's graduation leaves a gaping hole at not one, but two positions where he was seen as a reliable contributor. Chris Gough has handled kickoff duties for the last few seasons because of his strong leg, and he will likely enter training camp as the number one option for placekicking. Hinchen is an unproven player so far because of Hamilton's mainstay status.
Kicking duties are usually an open competition at every level of football, so Weyler will have his chance to win the starting job as both the punter or kicker.
Quotable
"Villanova wants me for more than kicking and punting. They want me as a young man, not just as a football player. It feels good to know you're not being seen as a commodity. Villanova has always treated me fantastically." via philly.com
Highlights
Awesome feeling signing my official NLI to Villanova University. Extremely exited and blessed for the… http://t.co/UYCh9zwTCw
— Steve Weyler (@sweyler37) February 5, 2014
