Anybody have any thoughts on our special teams?
- Thread starter cockn'fyr
- Start date
Great question. I do know we are replacing a kicker, punter and long snapper. I truthfully don't think anyone will know how good these guys are until game time. That part makes me nervous. Did like the punter in the limited time I saw him in the bowl game.
I feel best about kickoff returns with Deebo and AJ back there, assuming that stays the same. Either have the ability to break one at any time and both have experience doing the job.
Always nervous about punt returns. Even if you have a great return man, that player is one cheap shot away from being out for the season. I remember one year with Lou when we averaged about .3 yards per punt return.
Truthfully I think it'll take 2-3 games to really know what we have on special teams, especially with the placekicker. It's impossible to simulate game pressure in practice.
I feel best about kickoff returns with Deebo and AJ back there, assuming that stays the same. Either have the ability to break one at any time and both have experience doing the job.
Always nervous about punt returns. Even if you have a great return man, that player is one cheap shot away from being out for the season. I remember one year with Lou when we averaged about .3 yards per punt return.
Truthfully I think it'll take 2-3 games to really know what we have on special teams, especially with the placekicker. It's impossible to simulate game pressure in practice.
Based on how poor kickoff coverage was in 2016, and the fact he was the ST coach at Florida when we blocked all the kicks to win and get WM fired, Hutzler still has a lot to prove to me.
Joe Robinson was a very solid ST coach.
For punting Michael Almond, was the punter in the bowl game and had 2 for 88 yards or 44 yard average, which South Florida returned 1 for 2 yards. If he can do that in 2017 he will be ALL SEC candidate, so that was encouraging.
In the Bowl Game Lammons had 3 returns for 48 yards, for a average of 16 yards and the long near the end of 39 yards where he almost scored. Probably one of the better performances in that aspect for the year.
In the bowl game they SF had a 46 yard kickoff return, so yes team speed is needed on ST, but we seem to be addressing that with this class, Davonne Bowen screams ST star with his size and speed and tackling ability.
Deebo had 37 yards a KO return in the bowl but really i dont like risking him to injury.
I look for Jamyest Williams to be out there to return the opening kickoff vs NC State, Shi Smith is a candidate as well, both project big time return skills.
I hope the days of Hayden Hurst as Punt Returner is over, LOL
We lose Drew Williams at ST Snapper, i dont know much about the next guy.
Fry will be hard to replace, 13 of 17 but all 4 of his misses were 40 yards or more. I was surprised to see the Clemson kicker commit make the Potter? make the Army All American game, did we even offer? Until i see our new kicker in a game its hard for me to say. Its so much mental and you find out under game conditions and pressure if they really can do it or not.
Ulric Jones impressed me as a kick blocker got some and seemed to always be in the right projection area of the ball, glad he is back.
Joe Robinson was a very solid ST coach.
For punting Michael Almond, was the punter in the bowl game and had 2 for 88 yards or 44 yard average, which South Florida returned 1 for 2 yards. If he can do that in 2017 he will be ALL SEC candidate, so that was encouraging.
In the Bowl Game Lammons had 3 returns for 48 yards, for a average of 16 yards and the long near the end of 39 yards where he almost scored. Probably one of the better performances in that aspect for the year.
In the bowl game they SF had a 46 yard kickoff return, so yes team speed is needed on ST, but we seem to be addressing that with this class, Davonne Bowen screams ST star with his size and speed and tackling ability.
Deebo had 37 yards a KO return in the bowl but really i dont like risking him to injury.
I look for Jamyest Williams to be out there to return the opening kickoff vs NC State, Shi Smith is a candidate as well, both project big time return skills.
I hope the days of Hayden Hurst as Punt Returner is over, LOL
We lose Drew Williams at ST Snapper, i dont know much about the next guy.
Fry will be hard to replace, 13 of 17 but all 4 of his misses were 40 yards or more. I was surprised to see the Clemson kicker commit make the Potter? make the Army All American game, did we even offer? Until i see our new kicker in a game its hard for me to say. Its so much mental and you find out under game conditions and pressure if they really can do it or not.
Ulric Jones impressed me as a kick blocker got some and seemed to always be in the right projection area of the ball, glad he is back.
Last edited:
@Gradstudent really good analysis. Only disagreement I have is I like rolling the dice with Deebo out there. When Sterling Sharpe ran back kicks, the fans were excited for kickoffs. In the last 30 years I think we've maybe had 3-4 really good kickoff returners.
Other than that your analysis is spot on and I'm not saying you're wrong about that. Many coaches/fans don't like risking that either. Given the fact we will likely be in a lot of tight ball games, I like giving Deebo the chance to literally win one with a kick return. If we were a little deeper and more skilled, I'd probably let someone else do it too.
Although I did not read for punctuation, it seems you did well with grammar which is more important to some people on the board
Other than that your analysis is spot on and I'm not saying you're wrong about that. Many coaches/fans don't like risking that either. Given the fact we will likely be in a lot of tight ball games, I like giving Deebo the chance to literally win one with a kick return. If we were a little deeper and more skilled, I'd probably let someone else do it too.
Although I did not read for punctuation, it seems you did well with grammar which is more important to some people on the board
Without reading all of the posts in this thread, my biggest concern is replacing Fry. Man, that guy was money in crunch time.
