Texas Football's Special Teams: A Mixed Bag with a New Kicker
It's a tale of highs and lows for the Texas Longhorns' special teams this season, and the plot thickens with a new player stepping up. With Will Stone opting to redshirt and preserve his eligibility for the future (though not necessarily at Texas), Mason Shipley is taking on kickoff duties. Let's dive into the details.
This season, Texas has racked up 36 kickoffs, covering 2,232 yards, with 12 touchbacks. Stone contributed 20 kickoffs for 1,239 yards and 8 touchbacks, with one going out of bounds. Shipley, who filled in against UTEP and Sam Houston, has 16 kickoffs, totaling 993 yards, 4 touchbacks, and one out-of-bounds kick.
Texas kicks from the right hash, regardless of whether the kicker is left-footed (Stone) or right-footed (Shipley). This suggests minimal adjustments are needed.
Opponents haven't made much headway returning kicks, averaging only 10.4 yards per return. Sometimes, Texas just boots it into the end zone. Other times, the kicker aims between the numbers and the sideline to limit return space. But, most of the time, opponents simply take the ball at the 25-yard line.
Coach Sarkisian and Jeff Banks will monitor Shipley's workload, but it shouldn't be a huge issue since Shipley was the place-kicker and kickoff specialist for Texas State in 2022 and 2023. He's not juggling multiple roles like Cameron Dicker did in 2021.
Special Teams Performance Snapshot:
- Net Punting: No. 102 - 38.17 yards
- Punt Returns: No. 3 - 21.6 yards per return
- Punt Return Defense: No. 57 - 6.00 yards per return
- Kickoff Returns: No. 106 - 17.25 yards per return
- Kickoff Return Defense: No. 4 - 10.4 yards per return
It's a mixed bag, with a blocked punt against Florida adding to the complexity. Advanced stats paint a similar picture.
Texas ranks No. 8 in special teams FEI, trailing Iowa, Louisville, Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, and Kentucky. FEI (Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted possession efficiency) measures a team's scoring advantage on a neutral field against an average opponent.
But here's where it gets controversial...
Bill Connelly's SP+ paints a different picture, ranking Texas at No. 104 in special teams. This puts them alongside teams like Kennesaw State, Wyoming, Washington, Western Michigan, Rutgers, and Wake Forest. This stark contrast in rankings highlights the inconsistencies in Texas' special teams performance.
Ryan Niblett's impressive returns are counterbalanced by instances where he lets the ball bounce for extra yardage. Jack Bouwmeester's booming punts are offset by the blocked punt at Florida.
And this is the part most people miss...
Texas' special teams are volatile, but they could argue for a spot in the upper half of college football. Being in the bottom quartile doesn't quite reflect what's happening on the field, nor does being in the top 10.
Texas' special teams are evolving under Sarkisian's program. This week, they'll continue their development without one of the key players from the last four years.
One interesting fact: Texas hasn't allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown under Sarkisian. The last kickoff return for a touchdown against the Longhorns was in 2019 by Kansas State's Alex Ross.
What do you think? Do you agree with the mixed assessment of Texas' special teams? Where do you see room for improvement? Share your thoughts in the comments!
