Cal Flips Florida PWO Specialist Commit Bobby Engstler

Punter Bobby Engstler will join California on scholarship following a brief commitment to Florida as a preferred walk-on.

Class of 2024 specialist and Tallahassee (Fla.) Lawton Chiles product Bobby Engstler flipped his commitment from Florida to California on Tuesday evening. He'll join the Golden Bears on scholarship after originally pledging to the Gators as a preferred walk-on in Dec. 2023.

"First, I would like to thank the University of Florida for the [Name, Image and Likeness] opportunity," Engstler wrote via social media on Tuesday. "However, after receiving a full scholarship to UC Berkeley, I am decommitting from UF and I’m fully committed to the University of California, Berkeley." 

Engstler also received scholarship interest from Army, Florida Atlantic and Memphis during his recruitment, with Florida State and Ole Miss joining UF in pursuit of his services as a preferred walk-on.

According to Engstler, though, Florida head coach Billy Napier and special teams analyst Chris Couch intended to award him a scholarship and a starting opportunity once starting punter and rising senior Jeremy Crawshaw exhausts his collegiate eligibility after the 2024 season. 

"Opportunities that were promised by coach Couch and coach Napier really pulled me to Florida," Engstler told reporters on Dec. 30 at the Under Armour All-America Game media day. "Considering, I would probably start my sophomore year, be on scholarship after redshirting my freshman year, which gives me my whole four years still." 

Instead, Engstler will follow a similar path out west but with his education covered. He's set to backup redshirt senior and 2023 All-Pac-12 second-team punter Lachlan Wilson for a season before earning a chance to start for California in 2025. 

Florida enters the 2024 offseason with Crawshaw, redshirt sophomore kicker Trey Smack and redshirt junior long snapper Rocco Underwood as its scholarship specialists.

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