Special teams coordinator Scott Fountain and the Arkansas Razorbacks picked up their first special teams commitment on Sunday, as Hawaii kicker Matthew Shipley committed to the Hogs, per his X (formerly Twitter).
A product of Liberty Hill, Texas, Shipley is the sixth portal pickup of the offseason for the Razorbacks and first special teams player.
A senior for the Rainbow Warriors, Shipley played a total of 111 snaps and finished the 2023 season with an overall Pro Football Focus special teams grade of 54.3.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound transfer also had a punt grade of 43.6 and a field goal grade of 78.0.
During the 2023 season, Shipley made 14-18 field goal attempts (77.8%) and 30-31 extra point attempts. He was perfect from 20-39 yards out, 2-5 from 40-49 yards out and 3-4 from 50+ with a season-long of 51 yards.
Shipley is 56-73 (76.7%) on field goals in his career and 125-127 on extra point attempts.
Hawaii Bio:
2022:
Appeared in all 13 games starting at both kicker and punter.Led the team in scoring (75 points).Converted 80 percent of his field goal attempts (16-of-20).Was perfect (10-of-10) on attempts inside 30 yards. Tied a career-long with a 49-yard field goal against Utah State.Nailed four field goals of 40 yards or longer.Made all but one of his 28 PATs.Averaged 40.7 yards on 63 punts.Tallied nine punts of 50+ yards, including a career-long 63 yarder against Wyoming. Recorded 19 punts inside the 20 yard line. Had an 18-yard rush for a first down on a fake punt against Nevada.
2021:
A semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award given to the nation’s best placekickerPlayed in all 13 games, handling both place-kicking and punting duties.Led team in points scored with 96. Made 18-of-21 field attempts on the year.Converted on all 42 of his extra point attempts.Recorded a career-long 49-yard field goal against Utah State.Set a career-high with three field goals made versus Colorado State.Averaged 41.5 yards on 55 punts for the season.Had eight punts of 50-plus yards and 15 that landed inside the 20.Earned his first Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week award after averaging 49.3 yards per punt and tallying eight points in UH’s season-finale at Wyoming.Booted a career-long 54-yard punt in that win over the Cowboys.
2020:
Handled all placekicking and the majority of kickoff duties for UH.Finished the year 8-of-14 (57.1%) on field goals.Went 6-of-7 on attempts under 40 yards.Nailed a season-long 44-yard field goal in win over UNLV.Converted all 26 of his PAT attempts.Took over kickoff duties in the final seven games of the year.Recorded 16 touchbacks on 33 kickoffs.Earned academic all-MW honors.
Prep:
A 2020 graduate of Liberty Hill High School in Texas.Handled both place kicking and punting duties for a squad that won back-to-back district titles and a 2019 regional championship.A two-time all-district kicker.Ranked the No. 7 kicker nationally by Chris Sailer Kicking.Longest field goal in a game was 45 yards.Averaged 55.3 yards per kickoff with 31 going for touchbacks.Invited to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.Also earned all-state honors in soccer.An academic all-state selection.
Personal:
Born in Plano, Texas.Majoring in interdisciplinary studies.Has two brothers.Twin brother, Mason, kicks for Texas State.Older brother Michael kicked at West Texas A&M.Parents are Chris and Carol Shipley of Liberty Hill, Texas.
