Who Are the Best Special Teams Players?
Hello everyone and welcome back to our countdown of the best returning players in college football. Today our focus is on the best kickers, punters, and return men. We’re heading to the SEC, where of course, it just means more. Like every other major conference, the league is no stranger to realignment madness. Oklahoma and Texas came aboard giving the conference 16 teams. For this list, we aren’t including any of the new schools or players who transferred from outside the league. However, players who transferred within the league are ok. As a result, you won’t see two of the best kickers in the nation, Texas’ Bert Auburn and Alabama’s Graham Nicholson. Let’s start our list of the SEC’s Top Returning Specialists for 2024 with those kickers.
Coming Through In The Clutch
3. Trey Smack– Florida- Not only does he have one of the best names in football, he’s a great kicker. A season ago he drilled all 29 of his extra points and 17 of 21 field goals. As a result, he was a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best kicker. He twice hit from 54 yards last year and was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting five goals against Charlotte.
2. Peyton Woodring– Georgia- The former three-star player had a strong freshman season for the Bulldogs. Woodring made all 71 of his extra points and 21 of 25 field goals. His 134 total points led the SEC and put him third in the nation. He also was a Groza Award semi-finalist. He’s looking to move up the list during his second season in Athens.
1. Alex McPherson– Auburn- Our top returning kicker was also a Groza Award semi-finalist making it three for three. A season ago McPherson was perfect on his kicks making all 40 of his extra points and 13 field goals. He heads into 2024 nailing a school record of 19 straight field goals. Auburn fans hope the offense under Hugh Freeze gives him more opportunities this year. Named to the All-SEC freshman team, McPherson is a third-team selection in 2024 behind Auburn (the kicker) and Nicholson. In a pinch, he can handle punting duties as well. For those reasons, he’s our top-returning SEC kicker.
Moving ahead with the SEC’s top returning specialists for 2024 let’s move to the punters. Let’s face it you may not always pay attention to them but if your team is struggling you’ll certainly know it.
Big Game Boomers
3. Brett Thorson– Georgia- The Bulldogs usually don’t have to punt a lot. But when they do Kirby Smart’s got a good one. Last season the Australia native averaged 43.8 yards per punt on only 32 kicks. Furthermore, he landed 14 punts inside the 20-yard line and forced 21 fair catches. His ability to pin the opponents deep is a great weapon for Georgia.
2. Jeremy Crawshaw– Florida- There weren’t a lot of positives from the Gators’ 2023 campaign. However, the special teams was one of them. A second-team All-SEC selection last year the Australia native averaged 48.9 yards per punt. In addition, he had 21 kicks over 50 yards and pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 15 times. He owns the school record for average yards per punt (minimum 90 punts) with a 46.7-yard average. Crawshaw starts 2024 as a third-team All-SEC preseason selection.
1. James Burnip– Alabama- Going three for three with punters from down under Burnip’s stats have improved every season in Tuscaloosa. In 2023 he ranked second in the SEC and fifth nationally with a 47.6 average per punt. He only had seven touchbacks, pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 22 times, and forced 18 fair catches. For his efforts, Burnip was a Ray Guy Award semi-finalist. He made second-team All-SEC last year and starts 2024 as a first-team selection. He also is Last Word’s top returning SEC punter in 2024.
It’s time to wrap up the SEC’s top returning specialists for 2024 by looking at the top kickoff and punter return men.
Potential Game Breakers
3. Keionte Scott– Auburn- As a junior Scott led the SEC in punt return average with 14.8. All totaled he gained 222 yards on 15 returns. He took one 56 yards to the house against UMass. That was the longest Auburn punt return for a touchdown since 2016. The senior starts 2024 as a third-team All-SEC return specialist.
2. Zavion Thomas– LSU- The Tigers’ special teams got a huge boost when Thomas transferred to Death Valley from Mississippi State. As a sophomore, he averaged a whopping 34 yards per kickoff return and a touchdown. In addition, he averaged 12 yards per punt return. Thomas is an All-SEC first-team all-purpose player.
1. Barion Brown– Kentucky- The junior heads into the 2024 season already amassing over 1,000 kickoff return yards. In 2023 Brown led the nation with a 36-yard average per kick return. That was the 17th-highest total in a season since 1976. He became only the second player in Wildcat history to have a rushing, receiving, and kickoff return touchdown in the Gator Bowl loss to Clemson. He’s on the preseason Paul Hornung Award watch list and first-team All-SEC. To top it off he’s our choice for top return man in the SEC.
Thanks for checking out the SEC’s top returning specialists for 2024 here at Last Word On College Football.
Photo courtesy: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
