Penn State Football 2024 Forecast: Changes on Special Teams

If the Nittany Lions want to contend for the College Football Playoff, they need to find a kicker.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin during the 2024 Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Continuing the Penn State 2024 position breakdown series, special teams go under the microscope. First-year coordinator Justin Lustig has taken over with several noteworthy position battles due up through the summer and fall.

One of Penn State’s most turnover-filled position groups, special teams should get considerable preseason attention. One key player is returning, while transfers and incoming freshmen will play significant roles in the Nittany Lions’ third phase.

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The Storyline

Punter Riley Thompson received an eligibility waiver from the NCAA this offseason, giving the Australian two more years at Penn State after he transferred from Florida Atlantic. Lustig will have stability with Thompson, but place-kicking is a different story. 

Columbia transfer Alex Felkins was solid, converting 19 of his 24 field goals and all of his extra points after initially losing the job to Sander Sahaydak in training camp. He exhausted his college years and has given way to an unproven, three-man competition that includes the redshirt junior Sahaydak, redshirt freshman Ryan Barker and junior Tulsa transfer Chase Meyer. Kickoff duties could realistically go to any of the names in the group, but punter Gabriel Nwosu handled the job well in 2023 with 50 touchbacks on 76 kickoffs.

Coverage and return teams will take a hit, too. Special teams captain and wide receiver Malick Meiga entered the transfer portal, while midseason standout punt-returner Daequan Hardy was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. Kaden Saunders, who returned punts at the beginning of last season, is still around, but younger names could make an impact. Nicholas Singleton still seems to be entrenched in the kick-return role.

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The Alphas

Thompson is the undoubted alpha in the group as one of the few players with strong job security heading into fall camp. After Penn State had a string of successful punters like Jordan Stout and Barney Amor, Thompson struggled to begin his debut season. He averaged fewer than 44 yards per punt in three of the Lions’ first four games before turning things around to go over the 44-yard mark in all but one of the next 10.

Nwosu should retain his job after solid kickoff numbers as well, though Penn State will surely practice other players at the spot for some security. Long snapper Tyler Duzansky will reprise his role as well after being a first-year starter last season.

The Players You Don’t Know Yet

The kickers will garner the most noteworthy headlines as they continue to battle through fall. Sahaydak won the starting job in camp last season before missing a pair of short field goals in the season opener against West Virginia, making way for Felkins. 

Meyer will try to replicate what Felkins did as a plug-and-play transfer. He went 17-for-20 on field-goal attempts and 30-for-31 on extra points at Tulsa in 2023, including a 47-yarder as his longest of the season. Barker is the biggest unknown of the group, having yet to see the field, though he did make a field goal in the Blue-White Game.

Freshman running back Quinton Martin, after a pair of touchdown runs in the spring game, is a name to watch in the return roles. He’s raw with room to grow in training and conditioning, but his pure athleticism means Penn State will try to get him the ball in multiple ways.

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The Issues at the Position

At the Blue-White game, all three kickers had opportunities. Barker received the first reps, converting an extra point and a 28-yard field goal. Sahaydak hit from 30 yards, the only other field goal of the day, while Meyer made an extra point. Still, it’s hard to pin a favorite as Penn State heads into the summer.

Felkins’ excellence a year ago was important in the few semi-close games the Nittany Lions played, such as against Indiana and Rutgers. With uncertainty surrounding the proficiency of Penn State’s offense in the fall, any added uncertainty in place-kicking could make for anxious fourth quarters. 

Additionally, the lack of an explosive punt returner like Hardy could affect the field-position battle in Big Ten play. Saunders was adept at receiving punts but didn’t create big plays. Can he win the job and create more often this year, or will someone like Martin step up?

Can Penn State win the Big Ten with this position group?

Probably. Thompson should only get better after a strong 2023, while the trio of reasonable options at placekicker theoretically would mean one of them works out, right? Penn State also has enough athletes to fill the gunner role, for example, in Meiga’s absence. Special teams boil down to finding consistency from the field-goal unit and the occasional explosive plays on returns.

Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.