With scholarship limits in place for the next few seasons, Penn State will have to hit the walk-on market more than usual in the coming years. On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions boosted their future special teams by accepting a run-on pledge from Toms River (N.J.) Toms River North specialist Chris Gulla.
Gulla has plans to walk on at Penn State next season.
Gulla was on campus for an unofficial visit a week ago.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior is rated as the No. 19 kicker in the nation by Chris Sailer Kicking, the premier scouting service and camp for kickers. At the Sailer National Camp this summer, he was a member of the Event Elite finals as both a kicker and punter.
Gulla told Lions247 in November that he will follow his dream of being a Nittany Lion.
"It's just the fact that I have been a Penn State fan since I've been about five years old," he said. "I know I will be graduating with a fantastic education and training in the best facilities and stadium in the country. It has always been my dream."
Gulla doubles as a placekicker and punter at Toms River North. This season he was 5 of 6 on field goals and averaged 42 yards per punt. He hit 6 of 7 field goals as a junior with a long of 44 yards and hit all 31 of his extra point attempts.
He is open to either position when he arrives in Happy Valley.
"I am going into camp with the mindset of earning a starting job as a kicker and punter," he said. "Walking on is only giving me more motivation to work harder and prove myself. I know I would regret not playing big-time if I took a scholarship to a small school."
Gulla has been accepted into the Smeal College of Business at Penn State. He had walk-on opportunities at Rutgers and South Carolina.
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MST said...
Is there a Rutgers barometer for this one? I can see it now..."why in the world would anyone want to walk-on at that school? If he were smart he'd realize that we are about to be the annual B1G champs and playing in a BCS bowl regularly. Plus our academics are as good if not better than the best of the ivies."
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GRS154 said...
That punter is huge and I have no punter scouting background, but he's clearly far too slow getting his kicks off in that video. Not that we won't get better, but man he looks like he's thinking about quantum physics before he even moves after taking the simulated snap. Nevertheless, he's 6'7" 240 so leg strength is certainly a plus. Good for the State University of N.J.
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Sean Fitz ●
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