Penn State Football: Anthony Fera transfers to Texas

The seventh transfer for Penn State’s football team is their kicker Anthony Fera, who will be playing for the Texas Longhorns after making the call to transfer, per Joe Schad. PSU lost a key kicker, who was once a Michigan commit as well.

January 1, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Solomon Patton (83) blocks Penn State Nittany Lions kicker Anthony Fera (30) punt during the second quarter of their game of the 2011 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Last season, Fera nailed 14 of 17 field goals and hit all 20 of his extra points for 62 points in total. He also averaged 42 yards per punt on 64 punts after averaging 41.4 the previous year on 46 punts. Fera was third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage and fourth in average yards per punt. He never even attempted an extra point as a sophomore before becoming one of the top kickers in the Big Ten in 2011.

Fera’s 2011 results for PSU are all the more encouraging, given that he will be more accurate in his senior season. He is one of the better punters in the nation, and his accurate leg has been witness by both home and away crowds. Fera hit 7 of his 8 field goal attempts on the road and 7 of 9 while playing in State College.

His best game was an in-conference match-up against Purdue when he made three of three field goals and averaged nearly 45 yards per punt on six punts. Anthony Fera’s 11 points in that game were a season-high, and he never averaged more yards per punt with at least four punts in a game (51.7 on three punts against Eastern Michigan).

The Texas Longhorns are hoping that Fera can replace Justin Tucker, who was one of the best kickers in the Big 12 in his junior and senior seasons. Last year, he hit all 44 extra points (career 71 for 71) and hit 81% of his field goals (83.3% career average). The problem is that Tucker averaged under 40 yards per punt last season, so Fera certainly boosts Texas’s punting game. This is a big addition for the Longhorns, and Fera is poised for some bigger numbers after looking accurate last season. Tucker was a better kicker, but Fera holds the advantage with his punting.