Conference USA Preseason Position Reviews: Punter

We’ve reached our last stop in the series folks. The unsung punters. The grading categories: “Great Shape,” “Good Shape,” and “We’ll See.”

To elaborate on the grades, “We’ll See” means exactly what it means. We have no idea if that position is going to turn out to be a plus due to a lack of proven contributors and questionable depth. At this time, there’s no way to know.

“Good Shape” means known commodities are at the position but there’s still room for this unit to improve. Depth is above average to good, with a player or two having the potential to make an All-C-USA Team.

“Great Shape” means all-conference performers are at this position or there is good-to-great depth across the board. You obviously want your team to be here.

Great Shape

1. UTSA: The Roadrunners ranked 49th in Punt Success Rate due to Yannis Routsas pinning a conference high 28 kicks inside the 20. Routsas returns as a senior.

2. Rice: Jack Fox made All C-USA Second Team last season after averaging 44.2 yards per punt with 16 of his 57 punts pinning opponents inside the 20.

3. FIU: Stone Wilson led the conference in fair catch/Inside the 20 ratio with 78.9 percent. Wilson had 21 of his punts downed inside the 20 and returns as a senior as he .

4. Southern Miss: Zac Everett made the C-USA All-Freshman Team and returns after averaging 40.6 yards per punt with 20 punts downed inside the 20.

Good Shape

5. UAB: Junior Joel Dixon returns after averaging 41.3 yards per punt and having 13 of his 65 punts pinning opponents inside the 20.

6. Old Dominion: Bailey Cate averaged 40.5 yards per punt with 18 punts downed inside the 20. Cate returns as a junior.

7. Middle Tennessee: Matt Bonadies returns as a senior after having 16 punts downed inside the 20. Bonadies averaged 39.6 yards per punt.

8. North Texas: Blake Patterson and Alvin Kenworthy combined for 17 punts downed inside the 20. Patterson averaged just over 40 yards per punt. Both return.

9 Louisiana Tech: Brady Farlow and Davan Dyer shared punting duties last season and neither averaged more than 40 yards per punt. They each had 7 punts downed inside the 20. They both return.

We’ll See

10. WKU: After Jake Collins elected to transfer to Northwestern, the only punter left on WKU’s roster is freshman Adam Krause.

11. UTEP: The Miners will have a new punter now that Alan Luna has graduated.

12. FAU: The Owls will be in search of a new punter as Ryan Rickel has graduated.

13. Marshall: The Herd will look to a new punter with Kaare Vedvik gone due to graduation.

14. Charlotte: The 49ers need a new punter with Arthur Hart gone due to graduation.