Top 30 Most Overlooked High School Recruits to Go Pro Since 2000

Kickers are rarely going to garner much attention from college recruiters. As a result, rare is the kicker that receives more than three stars from the recruiting services. Matt Prater didn’t receive even that much attention after a successful high school career at Estero High School in Florida. Rated as the 37th-best placekicker available among the recruits of the class of 2002, Prater stayed in his home state and went to play for Mike Kruczek at UCF. There he immediately won the starting role and never looked back.

For most of his time in Orlando, Prater was often one of the Knights’ most dangerous scoring weapons. He also took on the bulk of punting duties as a sophomore, averaging over 47 yards per punt. He was on the roster for the entirety of UCF’s 17-game losing streak between 2003 and 2005, though Prater finally got the chance to play in a postseason contest when the Knights qualified for the 2005 Hawaii Bowl in his last game of eligibility. Prater finished his career with 108 extra points and 50 field goals for UCF, and emerged as a pro prospect as a senior. Though he went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft, Prater is now an 11-year veteran of the league.