SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – At the recent Chris Sailer Top 12 Kicking Camp in southern California, all of the nation's top kickers gathered to compete to find out who was the best of the best. Brendan Gibbons of West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman was on hand and was among the best in a number of categories.

"It's been going pretty good," Gibbons said during the camp. "I was doing pretty good on kickoffs just a few yards short on my last one but I like it. It's good competition."

At 6-foot-0, 200 pounds, Gibbons has a good frame for any football player, much less a kicker. So it is no wonder that he is a starter on defense for his high school.

"I start at linebacker," he said. "It's not bad. Kicking doesn't take that much out of me. I like hitting people."

As a college prospect, Gibbons doesn't anticipate carrying over his defensive skills to the next level, except for those few occasions on kickoffs.

"There's always kickoffs," he said. "But they're just recruiting me for kicking."

The schools that are recruiting him the most heavily are UCF and Michigan. The Wolverines seem to be the most interested and the feeling is mutual.

"No one has offered yet but supposedly Michigan will," he said. "I went to their camp and stuff and I think I'm their number one guy. They've been writing me letters and stuff. [If they offered], yes I'd probably commit."




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