UCLA Football Long Snapper Jack Landherr IV Declares For NFL Draft

One of the Bruins' most experienced special teamers is forgoing his final year of eligibility in favor of turning pro.

After four years starring for the Bruins on special teams, one veteran is making a push for the pros.

UCLA football long snapper Jack Landherr IV announced he would be declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft on Twitter on Monday. Landherr had one year of collegiate eligibility remaining, but instead elected to leave Westwood behind after graduating earlier this year.

Landherr becomes the second Bruin to officially turn pro with eligibility to spare this offseason, joining wide receiver Kazmeir Allen, who declared on Friday. 

Thank you Bruin Nation!! See y’all in El Paso!! pic.twitter.com/Tp8Tc9c0N5

— Jack Landherr IV (@JackLandherr) December 26, 2022

Landherr, Allen and right guard Jon Gaines II will join several veterans who have exhausted their eligibility – such as quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, wide receiver Jake Bobo, left guard Atonio Mafi, safety Stephan Blaylock and others – by pursuing careers in the NFL starting this spring. Running back Zach Charbonnet is widely expected to forgo his fifth year of eligibility as well.

The 6-foot-1, 238-pound Landherr arrived at UCLA from Chino Hills High School (CA) in 2019, and it didn't take him long to contribute to a midseason turnaround. After the Bruins opened the season 0-3, coach Chip Kelly made the switch at long snapper and never looked back.

Landherr wound up starting the next 40 games for UCLA on field goals and extra points, never missing a contest after taking over in late September of 2019. His very first start came in the Bruins' iconic 32-point comeback victory over Washington State, which required eight extra points and one field goal without a single miss.

In the first 15 games of the Chip Kelly era, UCLA went 3-12. In the next 40 games – all of which Landherr started in – they went 24-16.

Landherr added long snapping duties on punts in 2021, and he recorded his first career tackle later that season. His lone tackle in 2022 came in the regular season finale against Cal, when he forced a fumble that helped UCLA hold on for the road victory. 2022 was also the first season that Landherr played on scholarship, finally earning one in August.

After making the first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District Football Team and Fall Pac-12 Honor Roll in 2021, Landherr was named a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award – given to the nation's top snapper – in 2022.

The only long snapper left on the Bruins' roster is Beau Gardner, who will be entering his redshirt junior year next fall. The staff picked up a preferred walk-on commitment from Jake Eldridge – the nation's No. 1 long snapper – in June, but he eventually signed his National Letter of Intent with Rutgers after the Scarlet Knights offered him a scholarship.

In addition to losing its starting long snapper in Landherr, UCLA is also set to lose its starting punter and placekicker in Nicholas Barr-Mira to the transfer portal. Holder Sean Holland will also run out of eligibility after transferring in from Fordham as a redshirt senior last offseason.

The only starting specialist who could return in 2023 is kickoff specialist RJ Lopez, who has two years of eligibility remaining.

There were no long snappers drafted in 2022, but two were selected in the sixth round in 2021. From 2015 to 2021, there was at least one snapper drafted every year, and Landherr is surely hoping he can restart that trend in 2023.

The 2023 NFL Draft will take place from April 27 and April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

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