West Virginia football has a position battle on its hands at one of the most overlooked positions, the placekicker. Read more: A Battle for the Placekicker: A Look at WVU’s Special Teams
The special teams unit as a whole looks to be a strength for the Mountaineers heading into the new season, but it’s the fight for the placekicker role that is garnering all the attention.
Wrapping up our positional reviews for WVU football, we will take a look at that battle as well as the rest of the special teams unit.
Placekicker Battle
In terms of special teams, the placekicker gets most of the shine. While sometimes overlooked as a whole, having a reliable kicker is one of the most important factors in a successful team.
This year, West Virginia has two kickers who could take on that role, and it has created a heated battle between them.
Kade Hensley looks to be the leading favorite to take on the role. The redshirt senior is entering his first year with the Mountaineers after transferring from Coastal Carolina.
Previously, Hensley spent his entire collegiate career with the Chanticleers. During his time, he made 34 of 43 field goals and missed just one extra point.
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Last season, Hensley proved to be one of the best kickers in the nation, hitting 16 of 19 field goals. That included going five of six from 40 to 49 yards, with the longest being 49. He also made all 45 of his extra points.
The other option is Tulane transfer Ethan Head. As a freshman last season, Head made four of his five field goals, with the longest being 38 yards. He also went 18 of 21 in extra points.
Unlike Hensley, Head also proved to be a reliable kickoff specialist. He had a 65% touchback rate in that department.
With that in mind, Hensley will most likely take over the field goal and extra point duties since he has more collegiate experience in that area. And that will leave Head to continue his kickoff duties, something he has proved to be efficient in.
Punter
Moving away from the placekicker battle, the punting duties have a much clearer picture as to who will be the starter.
Returning senior Oliver Straw will undoubtedly resume punting for the Mountaineers this season. He enters the new season named on the Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team by college football analyst Phil Steele.
This comes after a successful junior campaign where he ranked No. 6 in the conference with a 42.5 net average on his punts. He also landed 18 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Straw has spent his entire career with the Mountaineers, serving as their starting punter each year. During that time, he has accumulated 5,420 yards in his punts with an average of 43 yards. He has landed 53 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line as well.
There is no doubt that Straw will continue his punting duties for the Mountaineers this season. He has proved to be one of the better punters in the Big 12 his entire career.
Straw will continue to be a valuable asset for West Virginia as he enters his senior season.
Kick/Punt Returners
Capping off our deep dive into the special teams unit, it’s time to predict who will be the kick and punt returners for WVU this season.
These roles can be harder to predict because a number of players can do them, and they can also change as the season progresses. Recently, special teams coach Pat Kirkland mentioned that whoever takes these roles has to be someone they can trust to make the right decisions.
Immediately, Preston Fox jumps off the board as a leading candidate for the job. He already has a lot of experience as a kick returner for the Mountaineers. He enters this season named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team as a kickoff returner.
Fox was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention last year in the same category. This came after he ranked No. 6 in the conference and No. 44 overall in combined kick return yards with 409.
Fox recorded 105 yards on 13 punt returns and 304 yards on 11 kickoff returns last season. He averaged 8.1 yards and 27.6 yards, respectively.
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Backup running back Cycnir Bowers could be another strong candidate for these roles. He reportedly ran a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash, making him one of the fastest players on the team. Bowers will not be the primary running back for the team, making him a valuable option for returns.
I could also see Jarod Bowie being another option for the returning duties. He is a threat anytime he has the ball in his hands due to his elite speed and elusiveness. Similar to Bowers, Bowie is projected to be a backup slot receiver for the Mountaineers this season.
There will undoubtedly be other options that the coaching staff finds as the season progresses. As of right now, Fox is the surefire pick to continue his returner responsibilities.
Overlooked but Valuable
While special teams may not be the most glamorous positions in football, they are just as valuable as the offense and defense.
A reliable kicker like Hensley will allow the Mountaineers to come away with points more often if the offense stalls out. Having what looks to be a kickoff specialist in Head will also be valuable, since head coach Rich Rodriguez wants the ball to be kicked out of the endzone as much as possible.
Straw will also continue to be important in winning the field position battle with his ability to pin opponents deep in their territory.
Special teams are often overlooked by the average fan, but the players West Virginia boasts in that area this season could be key in bouncing back from last year’s lackluster campaign.
A Battle for the Placekicker: A Look at WVU’s Special Teams
