3 big storylines to watch on Day 1 of fall camp for Texas
Who's handling the punting duties?
One of the big special teams questions marks for Jeff Banks and the Longhorns entering fall camp is who handles the starting punting duties for this upcoming season. True freshman Michael Kern enters preseason camp as the likely favorite to be the first-team punter to open up fall practice.
Jeff Banks on the punting duties: "I think as a staff, that's the one position where we're going to have to have some patience. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of patience. I've already told my assistants to make sure I have more patience."
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) July 30, 2024
Last season, Texas's punting game was a very effective part of the special teams unit. Grad transfer Ryan Sanborn was a consistent and reliable punter among the best-performing punters in the Big 12 in 2023. He was one of the top three Big 12 punters in punting grade last year (per PFF).
Winning field position and having a consistent special teams unit in all regards (whether it be coverage, return, field goal, punting, etc.) will be an incredibly important part of Texas having a well-rounded and fully competitive squad in the SEC.
Banks and the Longhorns staff clearly like Kern's ability and potential as the starting punter for the special teams unit. Kern was one of the five highest-rated punters in the high school recruiting class for 2024 in the 247Sports Composite, and he was excellent at handling the punting duties for St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida for the last few years.
But he's a true freshman who hasn't had any live-game experience to get his feet under him. Mistakes are common for true freshmen, which Texas didn't have to worry about last season, with the experienced fifth-year punter Sanborn handling the punting responsibilities for the Longhorns' special teams.
Check out our latest Texas football articles on Hook'em Headlines
feed