Former South Carolina kicker announces high-profile transfer destination
South Carolina football’s former kicker has a new, high-profile home.
Mitch Jeter, the Gamecocks’ former starting kicker of two seasons, announced Thursday he’d committed to Notre Dame. Jeter was 23 of 25 on field goals (92%) across two seasons as USC’s starter in 2022-23.
Jeter was 11 of 11 on field goals in 2022 and 12 of 14 on field goals in 2023 after replacing Parker White, the school’s all-time leading scorer. He is one of only two kickers in school history go 100% on field goals in a season (with a minimum of 10 attempts) and the only kicker in USC history with two field goals of 50-plus yards in the same game. He was also 77 of 80 (96.3%) all-time on extra points
Jeter also handled kickoff duties for the Gamecocks for four seasons. A Salisbury, North Carolina, native, he’ll provide an immediate boost to a Fighting Irish squad that went 9-3 this season under coach Marcus Freeman.
Jeter will be in line to start immediately at Notre Dame as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining as Notre Dame, a perennial AP Top 25 team, looks to put together an eighth straight season of nine or more wins.
Jeter was considered the No. 1 special teams player in the portal, according to rankings by On3 Sports and 247Sports rankings. It’s the third year in a row Notre Dame has landed a starting kicker from the portal.
Jeter is one of the most prominent offseason departures to date for coach Shane Beamer’s program. USC’s 17 outgoing transfers have primarily been depth players, but the losses of three starters in Jeter, WR Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. and RB Mario Anderson were impactful.
South Carolina has worked the portal to its advantage already, though, bringing in former star Arkansas RB Rocket Sanders and four other players since the portal opened.
Without Jeter, South Carolina has a number of options at kicker, led by veteran Alex Herrera, who could come back for a sixth season in 2024. Also on the roster are walk-ons Daniel Lester and Peyton Argent.
USC is also expected to sign kicker/punter Mason Love during next week’s early signing period. Love, who will be on scholarship, is from Missouri and was a two-time Kohl’s National Kicker of the Week as a high school senior.
South Carolina football transfers
A look at USC football transfers and where they have ended up
- QB Tanner Bailey
- QB Colten Gauthier
- RB Mario Anderson
- OL JonDarius Morgan
- OL Grayson Mains
- WR Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr.
- WR: O’Mega Blake
- WR Landon Samson
- WR Zavier Short
- WR Kylic Horton
- DL Xzavier McLeod
- DL Felix Hixon
- DL D’Andre Martin (Charlotte)
- DL Donovan Westmoreland
- DB Kajuan Banks
- DB Isaiah Norris
- K Mitch Jeter (Notre Dame)
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 10:41 AM.
