UM kicker Jose Borregales signs with Tampa Bay Buccaneers as undrafted free agent
After one elite season kicking for the Miami Hurricanes following his transfer from FIU, Jose Borregales was not selected in the NFL draft, but on Saturday night, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, he announced on Twitter.
Borregales will join the reigning Super Bowl champions after he won college football’s Lou Groza Award for the nation’s top place kicker in 2020. He converted 20 of his 22 field-goal attempts — one of the misses blocked — with a long of 57 yards and made all 37 of his extra points in 2020.
Despite Borregales winning the Groza, Florida’s Evan McPherson was the only kicker selected in the draft. He went to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 149 in the fifth round. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said he was “shocked” Borregales wasn’t first on the broadcast.
An immediate opportunity for Borregales in Tampa Bay may be limited as current Bucs kicker Ryan Succop was just signed to a three-year, $12-million deal in March. Including playoffs, Succop converted on 37 of 40 field goals last season.
Borregales signed after two Hurricanes were chosen on Day 3 of the draft for four total selected. Tight end Brevin Jordan went to the Houston Texans in the fifth round, and edge defender Quincy Roche was picked in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Miami’s Day 3 selections followed that of defensive ends Jaelan Phillips (Miami Dolphins, No. 18 pick) and Gregory Rousseau (Buffalo Bills, 30) in the first round on Thursday night.
Borregales didn’t go to UM initially after starring at Miami Booker T. Washington because his graduation year didn’t line up with a Hurricanes need for a kicker as they had Michael Badgley, currently in the NFL, on the roster. With college teams rarely keeping two scholarship kickers, he started off at crosstown foe FIU for four years.
While with the Panthers, he helped deliver what is possibly Miami’s worst upset loss when he booted three field goals — two from beyond 50 yards — in FIU’s 30-24 victory over UM at Marlins Park on Nov. 23, 2019.
Borregales went 50 for 65 on field-goal attempts during his FIU career, including 21 for 29 in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, respectively, he was 14 of 18 and 15 of 18 on field goals. Redshirting his freshman year in 2016, Borregales is FIU’s record holder for points (281).
After Miami’s Pro Day in late March, he said he nailed various field goals that teams asked him to attempt and displayed improvements on kickoffs, showing he can kick off to the right side, which he hadn’t done much on film.
As one Borregales leaves UM, another comes in. Borregales’ younger brother, Andres Borregales, completed his first spring session in college as an early enrollee out of Hialeah Champagnat Catholic.
