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Tech special teams depth chart, analysis

don williams, lubbock avalanche-journal
·1 min read
Texas Tech punter Austin McNamara set the school single-season record last year with a 48.2-yard average and is ahead of pace to break the school career record with a 46.3-yard average over his first three seasons.
Texas Tech punter Austin McNamara set the school single-season record last year with a 48.2-yard average and is ahead of pace to break the school career record with a 46.3-yard average over his first three seasons.

Special teams

Projected depth chart

Kicker: Trey Wolff, Sr.; Gino Garcia, Jr.

Punter: Austin McNamara, Sr.; Brook Honore', Fr.

Deep snapper: Jackson Knotts, So.; Henry Teeter, Sr. or Haydon Wiginton, Fr. or Jacob Mauch, So.

Kick returner: Xavier White, Sr. or Chadarius Townsend, Sr. or Marquis Waters, Sr. or Myles Price, Jr.

Punt returner: Adrian Frye, Sr.; Drew Hocutt, So.; Coy Eakin, Fr.

In a nutshell: Tech returns one of the nation's top punters and his deep snapper, as well as several other experienced special-teams pieces. The question is whether the Red Raiders can lose one of the Big 12's best kickers of 2021 — both in terms of accuracy and coming through under pressure — and not miss a beat.

Stock: Down. Not because of Austin McNamara. He set school and Big 12 single-season records with a 48.2-yard punting average last season, leading Tech to fifth in the FBS in net punting (43.98). His 46.3-yard average over three seasons puts him position to break Taylor Symmank's school career record of 43.7. Also back are primary return specialists Adrian Frye and Chadarius Townsend, deep snapper Jackson Knotts and coverage-unit standouts Tyrique Matthews, Patrick Curley and Bryce Ramirez. The latter three were credited with five, four and three tackles, respectively, covering punts and kicks. However, Tech dodged a sixth straight losing record last season thanks in part to Jonathan Garibay making two game-winning field goals in a 15-for-16 season. Fighting to replace Garibay are Trey Wolff, hoping to regain his 2019 form when he went 20 for 22, and Houston Baptist transfer Gino Garcia, whose 32 career field goals include six of 48 yards or longer.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech special teams depth chart, analysis