Bye Bye Bubba Baxa, Miami Hurricanes kicker enters transfer portal

Miami Hurricanes kicker Bubba Baxa who lost his job in 2019 has entered his name into the transfer portal as initially reported by Andrew Ivins of Inside the U.

The struggles by kicker Bubba Baxa transformed the Miami Hurricanes 2019 football season negatively. Missed kicks by Baxa and walkon Turner Davidson cost Miami in losses vs. North Carolina and Georgia Tech last season. If those kicks are made, Miami probably finishes the season 8-4 and would have been ACC Coastal Co-Champions.

Andrew Ivins of Inside the U reported that Baxa had been considering entering the transfer portal since he was replaced by Davidson and then Camden Price who was also a walkon during the 2019 season. Baxa missed an extra point and two field goals against North Carolina and his only field goal attempt against Georgia Tech.

Former Florida International kicker Jose Borregales who helped beat the Hurricanes in November announced recently he was transferring to Miami for the 2019 season. Borregales will have one season of eligibility remaining. Borreagles became the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer in 2019 with 281 points.

Baxa ended his Miami career making 60-63 extra points and 14-22 field goal attempts. Borregales set FIU records with 131 PATs, 134 PAT attempts, 50 made field goals and 66 attempts. Borregales’ 75.8 field goal percentage is second in FIU history. Baxa was exceptional kicking off in 2019.

Baxa ranked 14th in the country with an average of 63.6 yards per kickoff. The lack of touchbacks from Baxa was somewhat concerning. Baxa was tied for 42nd in FBS with 55.38 percent of his kickoffs resulting in touchbacks. Tucker McCann of Missouri led the nation with 90.63 percent of his kickoffs becoming touchbacks.

Baxa could potentially seek a school looking for a kickoff specialist. With scholarships valued that could be a longshot. Baxa had a now-infamous graphic against LSU in the 2018 season opener that he made only 40 percent of his field-goal attempts as a high school senior in Texas in 2017.

If Baxa would have had enough attempts to qualify he would have finished 97th in the country with his 63.6 percentage on field goal attempts. Borregales finished 71st making 72.4 percent of his field-goal attempts in 2019. After making just 2-6 FGAs through the Panthers’ first three games, Borregales finished 2019 19-23.