With the No. 173 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Florida punter Johnny Townsend.
Became Florida's all-time leading punter in program history with 11,090 yards and 240 total punts as he passed Eric Wilbur (9,900 yards & 231 punts) who held each record since 2006... Moved into SEC history as he finished his career fifth all-time in punting yards and tied for ninth in punts... Set a new career punting average of 46.2 yards, which ranks first in SEC lore… Recorded 11 punts of over 60 yards throughout his career, which is the most by a Gator in records dating back to 1996… His average as a senior in 2017 (47.5) ranked second all-time in UF history behind his own average of 47.9 yards, which he set in 2016… Led the nation and the SEC in punting yardage during his junior and senior seasons… 2017: Finished the season averaging 47.5 yards as he totaled 3,043 yards on 64 punts... Booted a career-long punt of 70 yards against Georgia and recorded 27 punts of over 50 yards throughout the season, including six over 60 yards... Notched 27 punts inside the 20-yard line during the season… His average of 54.4 yards per punt (7-for-381) against Georgia set a UF program for the highest average in a game (min. 7 punts)… Earned Ray Guy Punter of the Week honors after he tallied five punts for 246 yards (49.2 average) against LSU game… Named a Second Team All-American by CBS Sports, AP, Sporting News and SB Nation… Picked up Fourth Team All-American honors by Phil Steele… Picked as a Sports Illustrated All-American… Garnered First Team All-SEC honors by the AP and second team accolades by the league's coaches and Phil Steele… Chosen as an SEC Community Service Team member and Campbell Trophy Semifinalist… Garnered Second Team accolades from the SENIOR CLASS Award… Named a Midseason All-American by Sporting News, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated… Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll… 2016: Garnered First and Second Team… All-America accolades by CBS Sports and Fox Sports, respectively… Tabbed as a First Team All-SEC performer by ESPN and Gridiron Now… Selected as a Second Team All-SEC punter by the leagues' Coaches, AP and Athlon Sports… One of 10 Ray Guy Award Semifinalists… Ranked first in the nation with a 47.9 yard average on 64 punts for the season… Had 29 punts of 50 yards and 27 punts inside the 20 yard line… Named the Ray Guy Punter of the Week after his performance at Vanderbilt, which included a 51.9 yard average on seven punts with five inside the 20 yard line and a long of 62 yards… Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll… 2015: Appeared in all 14 games...Named First Team All-SEC by ESPN.com and Gridiron Now... Named Second team All-SEC by Coaches, AP and Athlon... One of 10 Ray Guy Award semifinalists... Tallied 83 punts for an average of 45.4 yards, which ranked third in the country and first in the conference in net punting... Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll... 2014: Did not see any game action and redshirted... Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll... 2013: Selected to the SEC All-Freshmen team by the league's coaches... Played in the final six games of the season... He averaged 42.0 yards per punt on the season, with 8 fair caught, 6 inside of the 20, 5 touchbacks and totaled 5 over 50 yards... Took over the punting duties beginning with the game at Missouri, where he averaged 45.6 yards over 8 punts in his collegiate debut... Named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Named a U.S. Army All-American… Won the 2013 Felix "Doc" Blanchard Award, given annually to the top player at the U.S. Army All-America game who best exemplifies the U.S. Army's high standard of excellence in community service, education and athletic distinction… Named to the 2012 Florida Class 8A All-State team and played in the Central Florida All-Star Game… Averaged 44.6 yards per punt as a senior… Named 2012 First Team Punter Florida Athletic Coaches Association District 11 (Orange and Osceola County Schools), All-District and to the Orlando Sentinel Super 60… Won the 2012 Nick Saban Punting Competition and 2012 Chas Henry All-American Kicking Camp Punting Competition… Also played free safety and quarterback in high school… Plays on the baseball team at Boone and was an All-Metro performer… Is an Eagle Scout… Member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society… Named Boone's Homecoming King in 2012… Both parents, Clay and Susan Townsend, both attended Florida… Brother, Clay, Jr., also attends UF… Chose Florida over Ohio State, Alabama and Cincinnati.
