2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 80 Days (Chris Freeman)

Written by: Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The 2021 Countdown to Kickoff is 20-percent of the way finished. Today we take a look at freshman kicker Chris Freeman, who will see his role increase from 2020. The Hoosiers are now just 80 days away from their season opener against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City on September 4th.

Name: Chris Freeman

Hometown: Zionsville, IN

Position: Kicker

Year: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6’1”/190 pounds

Freeman joined the program as a walk-on during fall camp of 2020. He played his high school football at Zionsville H.S. where he also was a three-year letter winner in soccer.

In football, Freeman was a three-time all-state selection and hit 31-of-43 field goals, including three game winners, during his career. Freeman holds the Zionsville H.S. record for most made field goals and the longest field goal made (52 yards).

His performance on the soccer field may have been more impressive. Freeman took home the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association’s Male Soccer Player of the Year and the Indiana Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also a first-team All-American and the United States Soccer Coaches Association first-team Academic All-American.

Freeman played in one game last season, when he kicked off against Rutgers. With Jack Cardillo in the transfer portal, it leaves Freeman as the primary backup to both field goal kicker Charles Campbell and kickoff specialist Jared Smolar. Indiana head coach Tom Allen likes to use multiple kickers in the season in order to keep players’ legs fresh for the whole season, so look for Freeman to relieve Smolar on kickoffs during the season and maybe get some spot duty on extra points if there are a few blowouts.