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The Villanova Wildcats got their first verbal commitment of the 2018 class tonight when kicker/punter Nathan Fondacaro committed. He announced the decision on Twitter.
— Nathan Fondacaro (@njfondacaro) July 8, 2017
Fondacaro picked up an offer from Villanova on June 6th. Fondacaro handles both the placekicking and punting duties for St. Augustine Prep (N.J.), and theoretically could do both for Villanova as well.
At 5’11” and 175 lbs., he’s rated a 5-star kicker by Kohl’s Kicking which is a specialist-only recruiting service. Here is Kohl’s on Fondacaro’s ability:
“...Fondacaro will be one of the most sought after combo specialist in the Nation. He continues to get better and gain more confidence every time we see him Fondacaro had solid showings at the 2016 Eastern Winter Showcase and the 2017 Underclassman Challenge. He displayed Division 1 ability in both kicking and punting when he hit multiple 70+ yard kickoffs and averaged over 45 yards per punt.”
Villanova has obviously had their struggles with the placekicking in the past, though John Hinchen has been one of the best punters in the country. Bringing in more competition is always a good thing in a struggling unit and Fondacaro comes highly rated. This looks like an excellent pickup by the Villanova staff.
Welcome to ‘Nova Nation, Nathan!