In practice, Armwood (Fla.) High School’s offense was on one side of the field, and the defense was on the other.

Kicker Sterling Hofrichter had to stand near midfield to kick field goals over the offense. Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer and quarterbacks coach Tim Lester were in attendance, and saw him make a field goal upward of 55 yards.

Ever since then he’s been SU’s top kicking target.

“Coach Shafer saw that and I guess he was really impressed,” Hofrichter said. “They want me, and that was basically what got me.”

Hofrichter was the only kicker that Syracuse wanted for its Class of 2015. SU was the only school that gave him an offer. And on Friday the two made the pairing all but official when Hofrichter announced his verbal commitment to the Orange, becoming the 16th verbal commitment to Syracuse’s Class of 2015.

He is listed as 5 feet, 10 inches and is a two-star recruit, according to Scout.com. He will finish his senior year at Armwood High School before coming to Syracuse.

“I was hoping I’d get a scholarship to a big-time Division I school,” Hofrichter said. “It’s a great feeling to go D-I and go to an (Atlantic Coast Conference) school.”

Hofrichter figures to have a good chance to get immediate playing time at Syracuse.

Both Ross Krautman and Riley Dixon will have graduated. Ryan Norton will be a senior, but he only made 10-of-15 field goals last season, his longest kick measuring at 44 yards. Incoming freshman Evan Jakubowski, a preferred walk-on, will likely be Hofrichter’s other competition.

Said Hofrichter: “I’m just going to continue putting in hard work, show how accurate and how consistent I can be and hopefully I can get a spot as a freshman.”

Published on June 28, 2014 at 3:48 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3