Cal Accepts Florida PWO Expert Commitment Bobby Engstler
After making a short-term commitment to Florida as a preferred walk-on, punter Bobby Engstler will enroll on scholarship at California. Bobby Engstler, a Tallahassee, Florida, native and class of 2024 specialist, switched his commitment from Florida to California on Tuesday night. He initially committed to the Gators as a preferred walk-on, but he will now join the Golden Bears on scholarship in December 2023.
Engstler posted on social media on Tuesday, saying, “First, I would like to thank the University of Florida for the [Name, Image and Likeness] opportunity.” “However, after receiving a full scholarship to UC Berkeley, I am decommitting from UF and I’m fully committed to the University of California, Berkeley.”
During his recruiting, Engstler also attracted interest from Army, Florida Atlantic, and Memphis for scholarships; Florida State and Ole Miss joined UF to pursue him as a preferred walk-on. But Engstler claims that special teams analyst Chris Couch and head coach Billy Napier of Florida planned to give him a scholarship and a starting position once rising senior punter Jeremy Crawshaw uses up all of his college eligibility after the 2024 campaign.
“I was drawn to Florida by the opportunities that coach Couch and coach Napier offered,” Engstler said to reporters on December 30 at the Under Armour All-America Game media day. “Considering, I would probably start my sophomore year, be on scholarship after redshirting my freshman year, which gives me my whole four years still.”
Rather, Engstler will travel out west on a similar route, but with his schooling taken care of. Before getting the opportunity to start for California in 2025, he is expected to back up redshirt senior and 2023 All-Pac-12 second-team punter Lachlan Wilson for a season. Crawshaw, redshirt sophomore kicker Trey Smack, and redshirt junior long snapper Rocco Underwood are Florida’s scholarship specialists going into the 2024 summer.