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South Carolina adds Texas Tech transfer kicker

wesby: Wes Mitchell01/08/26WesMitchellGC

Texas Tech transfer kicker Upton Bellenfant has committed to and signed with South Carolina.

On3’s Pete Nakos reported the news and Bellenfant confirmed it to GamecockCentral.

The experienced specialist is ranked the No. 4 kicker in the transfer portal by the On3 Industry Rankings and has hit 24 of his 27 career field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards.

A former high school target of former Gamecocks special teams coordinator Pete Lembo, Bellenfant will now finish his career by spending his final year of eligibility in the Garnet and Black.

South Carolina Transfer Portal Resources:

The rising senior appeared in seven games with the Red Raiders, hitting six field goal on six attempts with a long of 33 while converting 14 PATs.

Bellenfant saw his most extensive action with Lembo’s Buffalo team as a redshirt sophomore in 2024.

The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native earned All-MAC third team honors, hitting 18 of 21 field goal attempts on the season and connecting on all 31 extra-point attempts.

The 18 made field goals ranked second in Buffalo’s program history for a single season. Bellenfant was 10-of-11 on field goal attempts inside 39 yards and 8-of-10 at 40 yards or longer.

He ranked 24th nationally and fourth in the MAC for field goal percentage (85.7 percent).

Bellenfant spent the first two years of his career at Alabama, where he did not see any action.

Texas Tech Bio:

PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH

  • Began collegiate career in 2022 at Alabama … was a member of the Crimson Tide program for two seasons (2022-23) before transferring to Buffalo (2024) for a highly successful first season seeing collegiate action.
  • 2024 SEASON (SOPHOMORE at BUFFALO): named to the All-MAC third team after connecting on 18-of-21 field goal attempts on the season and 31-of-31 extra-point attempts … the 18 made field goals ranked second in Buffalo’s program history for a single season … combined to finish 10-of-11 on field goal attempts inside 39 yards and was a combined 8-of-10 at 40 yards or longer … ranked 24th nationally and fourth in the MAC for field goal percentage (85.7 percent).
  • Served as Buffalo’s kickoff specialist, sending 34 of his 74 attempts for touchbacks … averaged 61.3 yards per kick with only one attempt that went out of bounds.
  • Found the uprights on the first nine field goals attempts on the season … streak began with successful tries from 37 and 34 yards out against UMass (9/14) … followed by connecting on two attempts from 42 yards and another from 37 yards to finish 3-of-3 at Northern Illinois (9/21) … streak continued with a 47-yarder at UConn (9/28), a 33-yarder versus Toledo (10/12) and a 26 and 22-yarder against Western Michigan (10/19).
  • First miss of the season was from 47 yards at Ohio (10/26) … rebounded later in the game to drill a 40-yard attempt … combined to make his next three attempts with a 33-yarder and 36-yarder at Akron (11/2) and a 27-yarder versus Ball State (11/12) … missed his only attempt at Eastern Michigan (11/20), a 55-yarder that marked his longest attempt of the season.
  • Closed the regular season with a successful 42-yard attempt against Kent State (11/26) … proceeded to finish 4-of-5 on field goal attempts in the Bahamas Bowl against Liberty (1/4), finding the uprights from 52, 43, 20 and 45 yards with the lone miss coming from 30 yards … his season-long 52-yarder in the game was also a bowl record … bowl performance came after his commitment to Texas Tech on Dec. 27.
  • 2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN at ALABAMA): did not see game action … transferred at end of the season.
  • 2022 SEASON (FRESHMAN at ALABAMA): redshirt season … did not see any game action.

HIGH SCHOOL

  • Attended Stewarts Creek High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn. … combined to make 8-of-11 field goals with a long of 47 yards over his junior and senior seasons… also handled punting duties for the Red Hawks… won the field goal contest at the end of Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp against other top players in the country in 2020.

PERSONAL

  • Upton Bellenfant … born in Goodlettsville, Tenn. and raised in Murfreesboro, Tenn. … son of Keith and Kit Bellenfant … has two older sisters, Grahm and Campbell.
  • Father played football at Cumberland University, also as a kicker, in the early 1990’s.  
  • An explore STEM major at Texas Tech.

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