Butler: Georgia has its starting punter for 2017 season

It appears Georgia has decided who its starting punter will be.

On the second hour of Bulldogs Live with Kirby Smart, former UGA place-kicker Kevin Butler said Columbia graduate transfer Cameron Nizialek will be the No. 1 punter going into next week's game against Appalachian State. Butler is working with the Georgia program as a student assistant since he returned to college and is still taking classes.

This isn't a surprise considering Smart stated twice recently that Nizialek was in the lead for the job.

What was more telling, however, is that Butler listed a different No. 2 punter than who was otherwise expected. Butler said freshman preferred walk-on Bill Rubright is opening the year as Nizialek's backup instead of sophomore Marshall Long.

"Marshall Long is kind of battling back from a tough knee injury last year," Butler said. "So Bill Rubright, our freshman preferred walk-on out of Marist High School, has stepped up to kind of assume that second-team punter right now."

If this holds throughout the year, Long would almost be assured of a redshirt season. Long is battling back from a dislocated kneecap sustained during the week leading up to the Auburn game. Long averaged 38.7 yards per punt before the injury.

At Columbia, Nizialek averaged 44.8 yards per punt last season. Butler said Nizialek has done a fine job throughout the preseason.

"I think everybody is going to be overjoyed this year to see us punt and actually see the ball go up in the air and go downfield," Butler said. "That’s our key and that’s what we’re excited about."

As for place-kicker, it remains a "very heated" competition between sophomore Rodrigo Blankenship and Wofford graduate transfer David Marvin. Butler said Friday's practice could go a long way in deciding a winner.

"We’ve got a big day (Friday) in kicking," Butler said. "Hopefully we get one of these guys to shake it out and step out in front of the other guy, that’s what we would like to do, and try to name that kicker so he can go ahead and get mentally ready going into next week."

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Butler: Georgia has its starting punter for 2017 season."