Apr. 18—From Columbus Grove to Chapel Hill.
Rece Verhoff, Marshall’s starting kicker for the past three seasons and a former Columbus Grove Bulldog, announced earlier this week that he’d enter the college football transfer portal with one season of eligibility remaining.
He fielded calls from Charlotte, Southern Miss, Illinois and even Ohio State, but the most intriguing of those calls came from Mike Priefer, the special teams coach at the University of North Carolina
Priefer is a key member of a mostly new staff at UNC, led by six-time Super Bowl Champion head coach Bill Belichick.
The current special-teams ace for the Tar Heels, who returns to the college ranks after 21 years in the National Football League, connected with Verhoff’s kicking coach, Brandon Kornblue, and the two presented the opportunity of a lifetime to the small-town kid from Putnam County.
“Brandon called me and said North Carolina really liked my film,” Verhoff said. “I thought that was amazing, then North Carolina got in touch with me and offered me a full-ride scholarship. It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.”
It wasn’t about leaving Marshall for the 5-foot-11 kicker who wore jersey No. 90 for the Thundering Herd. It was more about fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing college football at a Power Four school. It was a decision that received full support from Verhoff’s family, friends and the people around him at Marshall.
“Marshall has been great to me,” Verhoff said. “I went to my coaches to tell them I was entering the portal, and they understood my decision. I’ve also received a lot of support from my family, friends and even Marshall fans. They’re very supportive. That’s one thing about this place. They hate to see you go, but you’ll always be part of The Herd when you leave.”
Verhoff announced his decision to transfer to North Carolina on his social media accounts Thursday night. He has an official visit in Chapel Hill lined up for Tuesday, where he’ll tour the facilities and meet with the rest of the coaching staff.
I am excited to announce that I will be committing to the University of North Carolina! I want to thank @CoachPriefer for this opportunity! Thrilled to get to work! @UNCFootball @KornblueKicking pic.twitter.com/yzDdWElxu4
— Rece Verhoff ✟ (@RVerhoff) April 17, 2025
Verhoff anticipates having to compete for his position and said nothing is guaranteed, but he expects to be the guy for North Carolina this season.
“(Coach Priefer) told me on the phone earlier this week that they like what they’ve seen from my film and that I have a lot of potential,” Verhoff said. “It felt good having somebody of his caliber tell me that because, as a kicker, it makes me even more confident about my abilities.
“I’ve never been doubted by anybody in my time at all in college, but it’s great to hear that from someone who’s as experienced as he is. I’m still processing it to this day.”
During his three seasons at Marshall, Verhoff hit 38 of his 57 field goals with a career-long of 51 yards last year against Georgia Southern. He made all 40 of his PATs last season and even had a 9-yard run against James Madison, which set up his 49-yard game-winning field goal in overtime of Marshall’s 35-33 win.
Rece Verhoff casually hitting a new career-long in the first half! pic.twitter.com/GprVcGzQEF
— Marshall Football (@HerdFB) October 13, 2024
Verhoff was the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week in November of 2022 and October of 2024.
Some highlights from Verhoff’s career at Marshall include an upset win over Notre Dame in 2022, experiencing one of the loudest environments in college football at Virginia Tech last season and kicking at the Horseshoe against Ohio State in an environment he’s very familiar with, coming from a family of lifelong Buckeye fans.
“I had a lot of family and friends at that one. My Dad was even a little conflicted about what he should wear or who he should root for at that game,” Verhoff joked. “I probably had one of my best kickoff performances that day, and it was just fun because I’d been there countless times in the past as a fan, and it was great to also be able to experience that stadium as a player.”
Although the stakes are going to be admittedly higher at North Carolina, Verhoff believes his experience as a three-year starter at Marshall is one of the many reasons he’s ready to compete against the highest level of talent in college football.
“I know the stakes and the pressure are going to be a lot higher than what I’ve been used to in the past, but I’m just going to go in, work, give them my all and see where it goes. That’s all you can really do. In reality, I tell myself every time I go out to kick to trust my form and my work ethic. I’m excited for this next chapter at North Carolina, and I can’t wait to get going.”
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X @Lima_Howell
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Apr. 18—From Columbus Grove to Chapel Hill.
Rece Verhoff, Marshall’s starting kicker for the past three seasons and a former Columbus Grove Bulldog, announced earlier this week that he’d enter the college football transfer portal with one season of eligibility remaining.
He fielded calls from Charlotte, Southern Miss, Illinois and even Ohio State, but the most intriguing of those calls came from Mike Priefer, the special teams coach at the University of North Carolina
Priefer is a key member of a mostly new staff at UNC, led by six-time Super Bowl Champion head coach Bill Belichick.
The current special-teams ace for the Tar Heels, who returns to the college ranks after 21 years in the National Football League, connected with Verhoff’s kicking coach, Brandon Kornblue, and the two presented the opportunity of a lifetime to the small-town kid from Putnam County.
“Brandon called me and said North Carolina really liked my film,” Verhoff said. “I thought that was amazing, then North Carolina got in touch with me and offered me a full-ride scholarship. It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.”
It wasn’t about leaving Marshall for the 5-foot-11 kicker who wore jersey No. 90 for the Thundering Herd. It was more about fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing college football at a Power Four school. It was a decision that received full support from Verhoff’s family, friends and the people around him at Marshall.
“Marshall has been great to me,” Verhoff said. “I went to my coaches to tell them I was entering the portal, and they understood my decision. I’ve also received a lot of support from my family, friends and even Marshall fans. They’re very supportive. That’s one thing about this place. They hate to see you go, but you’ll always be part of The Herd when you leave.”
Verhoff announced his decision to transfer to North Carolina on his social media accounts Thursday night. He has an official visit in Chapel Hill lined up for Tuesday, where he’ll tour the facilities and meet with the rest of the coaching staff.
I am excited to announce that I will be committing to the University of North Carolina! I want to thank @CoachPriefer for this opportunity! Thrilled to get to work! @UNCFootball @KornblueKicking pic.twitter.com/yzDdWElxu4
— Rece Verhoff ✟ (@RVerhoff) April 17, 2025
Verhoff anticipates having to compete for his position and said nothing is guaranteed, but he expects to be the guy for North Carolina this season.
“(Coach Priefer) told me on the phone earlier this week that they like what they’ve seen from my film and that I have a lot of potential,” Verhoff said. “It felt good having somebody of his caliber tell me that because, as a kicker, it makes me even more confident about my abilities.
“I’ve never been doubted by anybody in my time at all in college, but it’s great to hear that from someone who’s as experienced as he is. I’m still processing it to this day.”
During his three seasons at Marshall, Verhoff hit 38 of his 57 field goals with a career-long of 51 yards last year against Georgia Southern. He made all 40 of his PATs last season and even had a 9-yard run against James Madison, which set up his 49-yard game-winning field goal in overtime of Marshall’s 35-33 win.
Rece Verhoff casually hitting a new career-long in the first half! pic.twitter.com/GprVcGzQEF
— Marshall Football (@HerdFB) October 13, 2024
Verhoff was the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week in November of 2022 and October of 2024.
Some highlights from Verhoff’s career at Marshall include an upset win over Notre Dame in 2022, experiencing one of the loudest environments in college football at Virginia Tech last season and kicking at the Horseshoe against Ohio State in an environment he’s very familiar with, coming from a family of lifelong Buckeye fans.
“I had a lot of family and friends at that one. My Dad was even a little conflicted about what he should wear or who he should root for at that game,” Verhoff joked. “I probably had one of my best kickoff performances that day, and it was just fun because I’d been there countless times in the past as a fan, and it was great to also be able to experience that stadium as a player.”
Although the stakes are going to be admittedly higher at North Carolina, Verhoff believes his experience as a three-year starter at Marshall is one of the many reasons he’s ready to compete against the highest level of talent in college football.
“I know the stakes and the pressure are going to be a lot higher than what I’ve been used to in the past, but I’m just going to go in, work, give them my all and see where it goes. That’s all you can really do. In reality, I tell myself every time I go out to kick to trust my form and my work ethic. I’m excited for this next chapter at North Carolina, and I can’t wait to get going.”
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X @Lima_Howell
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