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The California Golden Bears picked up a commitment from Class of 2019 kicker Christopher Abbes III, as announced on Abbes’s own Twitter.
I am excited to announce that I have accepted an offer to further my academic and athletic career at the University of California Berkeley! Thank you to @RagleCharlie #GoBears pic.twitter.com/0nb3fJc23H
— Christopher Abbes III (@cabbes24) December 15, 2018
Kicking out of De La Salle, Abbes is a two-star recruit with offers from Cal and Oklahoma State, according to Rivals. In addition, Abbes has spent time on the circuit to develop kickers and there’s a bit of analysis out there on him. Chris Sailer Kicking rates him 4.5 stars (between a Division 1 and a Division 2 prospect), rates him as 44th-best in his class, and says the following about him:
Christopher is an excellent kicking prospect. ... He gets nice lift on his ball and has 55+ yard range. Kickoffs are strong, college ready. Also a capable punter. He is a competitor that does very well under pressure. He continues to prove that he can compete with the best. ... He is a fine young man that is always a pleasure to work with. One of the hardest workers out there. I look forward to seeing what the future holds. His best is still in front of him. Strong prospect.
Kohl’s Professional Football Camp for all kinds of specialist work rates him as 4.5 stars in both kicking and punting and the 62nd-best punter with this assessment:
He was also able to chart a big ball during kickoffs of 75 yards with 3.84 seconds of hang time. Increasing his command of his ball striking should help him maximize his leg strength when it comes to field goals. His big ball during punts was a 53 yard 4.68 second blast. Creating more consistency with his drop and his hips coming up and through the ball will be key for him to maximize his leg speed and coordination. ... Creating as much confidence in his field goals as he does his kickoffs will be key for his development.
But we can also get to know Abbes based on his own self-assessment, which he provided to NCSA.org:
I (Christopher Abbes) am willing to put in the work to compete at the Next Level. I started kicking in 8th grade for my football team. I began kicking at practice every day and I got a lot better. My goals are to compete at the Next Level in College. I am a good candidate because I work hard both on and off the field. I continually am working to improve my kicking skills and capabilities. When I am done practicing with the high school team, I am also working on my both my strength and flexibility with Pilates, and also participating at multiple Chris Sailer kicking camps to improve my form/skills and to compete with other good athletes. Currently, I am ranked as a 4.5 Star KOHL’s Kicking and 4.5 Star with the 31st rank on Chris Sailer and #4 kicker in California.
Welcome to Cal, Chris!