Georgia post-spring analysis: Competition exists at place-kicker, punter
Special teams play was a source of Kirby Smart’s frustration at times last season.
Whether it was the early season kicking woes or the kickoff coverage miscues, the Georgia head coach was oftentime seeking answers about what transpired in a game.
But as the season went along, special teams, like anything over time, began to gradually improve. Kickoff returns didn’t break as open. The kicking game got on track. It just took awhile to see the positive gains.
Entering into the 2017 season, Georgia not only returns its starting place-kicker and punter but added two graduate transfers to compete against them. The coverage units figure to improve, although the kickoff team may not need to if the place-kicker can boom the ball into the end zone every time.
Coming out of the spring, here is where special teams stands.
Post-spring depth chart
Punter: Cameron Nizialek, Marshall Long
Place-kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship
Long-snapper: Trent Frix
Kick returner: Mecole Hardman, Terry Godwin
Punt returner: Hardman, Godwin
Those on the way
Nizialek enrolled early as a graduate transfer and therefore was already on campus for the spring. But in addition, Georgia is adding place-kickers David Marvin, a graduate transfer from Wofford, and Brooks Buce, a walk-on from Greater Atlanta Christian.
Marvin is expected to compete with Blankenship for the starting job once he arrives to the team. While Blankenship went 14-of-18 on field goals with a long of 49, Marvin showcased a strong leg at his previous stop. Marvin’s long is from 57 yards out, which is a Southern Conference record.
But what really helps Marvin in this competition is his ability to consistently hit touchbacks. As last season went on, Blankenship did do a good job of hitting the end zone as he nailed 20 touchbacks. This will be a key competition that should play out throughout the month of August.
Analysis
Blankenship provided a steady kicking leg for the Bulldogs and had a streak of 10 made field goals in a row. Entering his third-year sophomore season, Blankenship should only be stronger and able to kick at an even more consistent rate. The key for the Sprayberry alum will be to improve the distance on his made field goals.
At punter, Long is recovering from a season-ending broken kneecap injury sustained during the week of the Auburn game. He got some work in during the spring but didn’t do any team drills. Nizialek, a graduate transfer from Columbia, averaged 44.8 yards per punt with a long of 65 last season.
Nizialek actually split time at punter with the Lions, with his primary duty being to handle long punts. Between Long and Brice Ramsey, the Bulldogs averaged 37.5 yards per punt in 2016.
The Bulldogs will look to get Hardman involved in the return game now that Isaiah McKenzie and Reggie Davis are off to the NFL. Head coach Kirby Smart has stated before that he wished he got Hardman more looks in the return game as a freshman.
But the area Georgia has to improve the most on special teams is in kickoff coverage. The Bulldogs allowed 23.8 yards per return a year ago, oftentimes getting gashed. But this problem could certainly be solved if either Blankenship or Marvin can consistently kick the ball out of the end zone. Covering kicks would suddenly be negated.
Expectations
It’s a little tough to gauge the improvement Georgia will see in special teams. When it comes to place-kicking, Marvin has displayed a powerful leg at the FCS level. But will there be too much of a difference in the kicking operation at the FBS level for him? That remains to be seen.
As for punter, Nizialek had a fine spring and could very well be the punter for a year. That would allow Long to take a year to redshirt to fully heal from the injury. But if Long is good to go, he will provide plenty of competition.
This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Georgia post-spring analysis: Competition exists at place-kicker, punter."