Position Preview: Special Teams

NORMAN – People often overlook one third of the game of football, but make no mistake, special teams can swing the outcome of a contest in either direction. In 2015, Oklahoma's special teams have both returning playmakers as well as important roles to fill.

“Everyone is doing a good job and working hard,” running backs coach and special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said this week. “They understand what we are asking them to do and each and every day they are a little better. It is going right along at the pace I anticipated.”

The Sooners return one of the most electrifying kickoff return men in the nation in Alex Ross. The Jenks, Okla., product ranked third among FBS players in 2014 with an average of 31.7 yards per return, and tied for second with two kickoff return touchdowns. Ross earned second-team All-America honors, and first-team All-Big 12 acclaim as a kick returner last season. With a playmaker like Ross back in the fold, Boulware said he often has to be creative to get the ball in his hands.

“Typically what you see people do, if there is a returner that is pretty good back there, is they don't kick to them,” Boulware explained. “They kick away from them or they pooch kick. That happened last year, and I had to try to create ways to get the ball in his hands. We play that game with teams. We see what scheme they like to run and try to get them to kick it one place, or know where they are going to kick it if they do this and try to see if we can get the ball in Alex's hands. It's good to have him back there.”

Striker fall camp

Redshirt Junior Alex Ross returns a kickoff for a touchdown against Texas in 2014. Ross tied for second nationally last season with two return TDs on the year.

Fans are familiar with Ross's dynamite straight-line speed, but Boulware sees other traits that make Ross a great returner.

“Because he is a straight-line guy and doesn't juke you or anything, he has to understand and read the return,” Boulware said. “Alex hits the point of attack the majority of the time and that makes a difference. If you hit the point of attack where we are blocking it, then we have a chance, a real good chance because we do a good job of blocking it up.”

While Ross has his kick return role nailed down, several players could return punts this season, as Sterling Shepard, Zack Sanchez and Michiah Quick all returned at least one punt in 2014. A couple of speedy newcomers could also have a chance to win the job. Shepard led the way last year with 11 returns for 73 total yards. The Sooners will look to improve on that average in 2015.

“You never know exactly how good a punt returner is until they get out there and do it live,” Boulware said. “Shep (Sterling Shepard) did it for us and he is coming back for his second year. Typically those guys see it a little bit better, because they spent an entire year looking at it in a game situation. It is different in a game than in practice. I don't care how many people I try to send at them, because we are not tackling them. He will start off as our guy.

TOBY'S TAKE

rowland

Alex Ross was maybe the most dynamic kickoff return man in the nation a year ago. A freight train in the open field, Ross repeatedly gave the Sooners great field position either by his long returns or by forcing teams to kick away from him and short.

The punt return game was not special last season. A lack of opportunities and the injury to Sterling Shepard combined for a lackluster season. A healthy Shepard or perhaps Dede Westbrook could give OU a more potent attack in 2015.

Austin Seibert seems poised to take over the kicking duties. Rated one of the top place-kickers and punters in the country out of high school, Seibert has to fill the accurate shoes of OU's all-time leading scorer, Michael Hunnicutt. If Seibert is as good as advertised and gets to start from day one, don't be surprised if he makes a run at Hunnicutt's record — especially if Lincoln Riley's offense can continuously put him in field goal or extra point range.

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“We have some others who are waiting in the wings who are continuing to work and get better—making sure they secure the ball first and foremost—and hopefully they might be able to provide something if we get a little stale or stagnant back there.”

One of the biggest tasks facing Boulware in 2015 is replacing the Sooners' all-time leading scorer. Kicker Michael Hunnicutt has graduated, but incoming freshman Austin Seibert joins the Sooners as the No. 1- rated kicking prospect in the nation according to ESPN. Seibert earned multiple All-America honors last season as a senior at Bellville West High School in Bellville, Ill., and was also selected to participate in the Under Armour All-American Game.

It's a battle of age versus youth at the kicking position, as redshirt senior Nick Hodgson is the other Sooner vying for the job. Hodgson has played in 13 games in each of the last two seasons, primarily as the kickoff specialist, a role he will likely reprise in 2015. Over the last two years, Hodgson, who is from North Richland, Texas, has booted 101 touchbacks in 156 attempts. In 2014, Hodgson was named Oklahoma's Special Teams Player of the Year and ranked second nationally in both touchback percentage (67.1) and total touchbacks (58).

“It has been intense,” Boulware said of the kicking battle. “Coming out of the spring with Nick only missing like two or three kicks the whole spring in a live setting—that's unheard of. I really felt strongly about our field goal kicker. In my mind I felt like the one competition we were going to have was going to be at punter, knowing Autin's (Seibert) skill set, and really it has been a competition for both. The field goal battle is intense. Those guys are competing every day and I am watching it closely with Coach (Bob) Stoops. We'll see who ends up with it.”

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Redshirt Senior Nick Hodgson ranked second nationally in touchback percentage (67.1) and total touchbacks (58) in 2014.

As one might anticipate, the winner of the field goal kicking job will likely boil down to accuracy.

“They're either knock them through or not,” Boulware said. “Eighty percent of the field goals we will try will be inside 40 yards. That is pretty much nationally. What sets any kicker apart is can he knock those in? Can you be at a high number inside 40 yards? I'm talking 90-something percent, and then when you are outside of 40 yards, what is your percentage then? That is what separates the men from the boys.

“We have been charting those guys every day, and we chart the live situations more. We will see who performs the best. It has been a tight battle.”

Jed Barnett turned in two solid seasons punting for OU prior to his graduation last year, but his departure opens the door for another position battle. Redshirt junior Jack Steed could get his shot at punting duties. The strong-legged Katy, Texas, product pushed Barnett for playing time the past two seasons and could finally get his chance in 2015. Seibert will be Steed's primary competition as he was also rated the No. 1 punter in the nation out of high school.

Oklahoma looks solid at the critical long snapper positions heading into 2015. Redshirt junior Connor Knight handled the field goal and extra point snaps last season, while sophomore Wesley Horky was responsible for those duties on punts. Both players return for the Sooners this season.

Players Mentioned

Jed Barnett

Nick Hodgson

Wesley Horky

Michael Hunnicutt

Connor Knight

Michiah Quick

Michiah Quick

Alex Ross

Alex Ross

Alex Ross

Alex Ross

Zack Sanchez

Zack Sanchez

Austin Seibert

Sterling Shepard

Sterling Shepard

Sterling Shepard

Sterling Shepard

Jack Steed

Dede Westbrook

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