University of South Alabama Athletics

Jaguar Highlights: Earned preseason first-team all-Sun Belt Conference recognition from Athlon Sports, Lindy’s and Phil Steele Publications ... Expected to handle all kicking duties his final year with the program ... Hit the only field goal from 25 yards out in the iHeartRadio Red-Blue Game to conclude the spring season ... Was 2-of-3 on field-goal attempts with a long make from 50 yards in the second scrimmage of the spring as well.

As A Junior (2017): Handled all placekicking duties for the Jaguars, earning first-team all-Sun Belt Conference honors ... Named first-team all-league by Phil Steele Publications also ... Converted 16-of-19 field-goal attempts and hit 26-of-27 extra points to lead the team in scoring with 74 points ... Paced the Sun Belt in field-goal percentage, tying for the conference lead in both field goals and field goals per game also … Ended up among the top 35 in the nation in field goals per game … Also finished fifth in the SBC in scoring and extra-point percentage … Performance ranked among the top five on USA’s career record lists for field goals, extra points and scoring … Field-goal percentage was tied for the second-best in a season in program history … Made career-high-tying three field goals in back-to-back games against Idaho and Louisiana Tech, and connected on multiple field goals in five of South’s 12 games (with no attempts in two of those contests) … Converted two field goals in win over ULM and at Georgia State the next week including a 46-yarder in the third quarter to make it a one-possession game … Provided final points in win at Troy with career-long 47-yard field goal, earning the coaches’ special teams award following the contest.

As A Sophomore (2016): Saw action in all 13 games, handling both field goals and kickoffs ... Led the team in scoring — and was ninth in the Sun Belt in points per game — with 72 points after making all 42 extra-point tries to go along with 10 field goals ... Had an average of 58.9 yards on kickoffs with nine touchbacks on 54 kicks ... Recorded a season-best 11 points in win over Nicholls, going 5-for-5 on points-after-touchdown while converting a pair of field goals ... Was 3-of-3 on field goal attempts to account for all nine of South’s points in home opener against Georgia Southern, including a long make from 40 yards out ... Connected on two field goals in Homecoming defeat of Georgia State, including the game-winner with two seconds remaining in regulation in a three-point decision ... Hit only field-goal attempt and averaged 64 yards on five kickoffs — with a pair of touchbacks — at Louisiana ... Two of four kickoffs went for touchbacks as he averaged 63.5 yards against Air Force at the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl ... Lone kickoff at SBC co-champion Arkansas State went for a touchback ... Also recorded an average of more than 60 yards per kickoff against Georgia Southern, Troy, Presbyterian and New Mexico State ... On the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List.

As A Freshman (2015): Appeared in each of the Jaguars’ last six contests ... Averaged 60.9 yards on a team-high 30 kickoffs, also pacing South with five touchbacks ... Made his collegiate debut at Texas State ... Kicked off a career-high nine times for an average of 60.8 yards with two touchbacks in Homecoming victory over Idaho ... Had an average of 61.6 yards on five kickoffs the following week in a defeat of Louisiana ... Recorded a 64.0 average — his best of the season — at Georgia State ... Posted a pair of touchbacks while averaging 63.5 yards per kickoff at Georgia Southern ... Averaged 60.5 yards while kicking off six times in season finale against Appalachian State ... Made the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List.

High School Highlights: A four-year letterwinner at Bradley Bourbonnais Community High ... Also earned three letters in baseball for the Boilermakers.

Personal: Full name is Gavin James Patterson ... Born Sept. 7, 1996, in Bourbonnais, Ill. ... Son of Jim and Jill Paterson ... Favorite movie is “The Blind Side” ... Favorite book is “Friday Night Lights” ... Favorite team is the New England Patriots ... Favorite athlete is Robbie Gould ... Favorite musical artists are J. Cole and Drake ... Favorite food is steak ... Favorite subjects are math and science ... Would like to become a physical therapist ... An exercise science major.