Notre Dame Football's New Kicker Is 30 Years Old

SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 23: A detail view of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet is seen on a Bench holder during a game between the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 23, 2021 at Notre Dame Stadium, in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Notre Dame’s new kicker for next season is an unusual age for a college football player.

Eric Goins, who spent the last seven years in the United States Army, has joined the program as a walk-on. He played at The Citadel from 2012-15 before joining the army.

Eric Goins, who played at The Citadel from 2012-15 and spent the next seven years in the United States Army, is joining Notre Dame football as a walk-on kicker.@jacksoble56 has the story. https://t.co/J6xXgML5TQ pic.twitter.com/jiQqVKCNZZ

— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) January 22, 2024

This will be his only year with Notre Dame since he has just one season of eligibility remaining.

He last kicked in 2015 and did a tremendous job, making 16-of-21 field goal attempts. His 16 field goals set a program record and to this day, it still hasn’t been broken.

He also made all 42 of his extra-point attempts for that season.

Goins was also a really strong kickoff specialist for that season, averaging over 61 yards per kick.

He’ll look to help the Fighting Irish be one of the top kicking teams in the country once the 2024 season gets underway in August.