Throughout the 2024 season, Tennessee football got servicable kicking from redshirt freshman Max Gilbert. However, while he went 20-for-26 on field goals and a perfect 54-for-54 on extra-point attempts, there was a stretch where he nearly lost his starting job.
In the Vols’ narrow 28-18 win over Kentucky, Gilbert missed all three of his field goal attempts. This was from 43, then 40 and finally 34 yards out. If he had made those kicks, it would’ve been a much more comfortable game down the stretch. Instead, UT had to put the game away with a Dylan Sampson touchdown with five minutes remaining.
The following week was tough for Gilbert. He said his family and girlfriend received messages on social media about his poor showing as he prepared for the next challenge against Mississippi State. With his job on the line, though, he came through against the Bulldogs. Gilbert connected on all four of his attempts, including makes from 24, 38, 51 and 38 yards.
What allowed him to bounce back was understanding how important it was to respond. He wants to be a professional kicker, and to do so, he had to show he wouldn’t let one game snowball into the next.
“I think after Kentucky last year, when I had an awful game, I kind of sat there throughout the week, and I was like, if this is something I want to do at the professional level, you got to respond,” Gilbert said. “You can’t go out there and do that again. I would’ve lost my job. To go out there and bounce back the way I did, it was one of the happiest moments of my life, really.”
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While Gilbert surely didn’t want to miss any kicks, having a tough game and responding well might’ve been beneficial in the long run. The place kicker out of Memphis survived the rough patch and can now draw back on that experience and what it took to climb out of the hole.
After the Kentucky game going forward, Gilbert finished the year 8-for-8 on field goals, including a make in the road College Football Playoff game against Ohio State.
“It definitely made me a better player,” Gilbert said. “It’s really tough to go out there and not perform for your team. I think it really made me a better kicker, because going through that, I feel like I can go through anything now.”
Now, Gilbert is the unquestioned starting kicker for the second year in a row. He enters his redshirt sophomore season with the same holder in punter Jackson Ross, but a different snapper in Bennett Brady.
Despite some changes, including a new special teams coordinator in the promoted Evan Crabtree, there is still a sense of confidence around the program that Gilbert will get the job done when called upon this year. That was echoed from Crabtree on Thursday, as well.
“When they go out there, it’s about the mental preparation,” Crabtree said. “And that’s where Max is super strong. Josh (Turbyville), as well. Played a lot of football for us, too. But Max goes out, he approaches every kick the same way, like it’s a game, and we get the results that we want. So he’s been fantastic.”
The season opener is set for Aug. 30 against Syracuse in Atlanta. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET and will air on ABC.
