U of L football preseason by position: special teams
With preseason camp set to start on Tuesday, Aug. 5, college football is so close we can taste it.
So, with that in mind, we'll review each Louisville football position group over the next eight days. We'll start with special teams, then work through the defense before finishing with the offense. Once camp gets going, we'll be updating our U of L page like crazy, and the closer the season gets, we'll review each opponent on the schedule.
The goal with this series is to give a snapshot of each position group -- who's coming back and who's new, if there's a fight for a position and what kind of ability the position group has.
Today, we begin with an experienced special teams unit, which features kicker John Wallace, punter and holder Ryan Johnson and a trio of returning ... return men.
Positions involved
Kicker, punter, holder, long snapper, kick returner, punt returner.
Where the units ranked nationally last year
Field goals - 20 of 25 (39th nationally)
PATs - 55 of 57 (76th)
Opponent KO returns - 22.6 yards per return, zero TDs (93rd)
Opponent punt returns - 1.1 yards per return, zero TDs (1st)
KO returns - 22.7 yards per return, 1 TD (42nd)
Punt returns - 7.6 yards per return, 1 TD (68th)
Who's returning
PK John Wallace, Jr.; P/H Ryan Johnson, Sr.; LS Grant Donovan, Sr.; PR Eli Rogers, Sr.; PR Kai De La Cruz, Sr.; KR Charles Gaines, Jr.; KR James Quick, Soph.
Who's new
James Quick
Any position battles?
Probably not. Rogers and Gaines are returning starters, and Quick will be back there with Gaines as opposed to replacing him. The kicking and punting situations are pretty set, too.
What to expect
This is arguably the most experienced part of the team, with Wallace and Johnson coming back in key kicking/punting roles and Rogers and Gaines providing capable hands and good speed in the return game. The big question will be in the punting coverage unit, which last year was the best in the country. Former U of L coach Charlie Strong and his staff liked having regulars or even starters playing special teams, so it'll be interesting to see where Petrino stands on the topic. Louisville may not have the same level of defensive talent that it had last year, but the team speed is there, and that directly translates to kick and punt coverage.
Wallace returning gives Louisville a bona fide, consistent kicker with range to about 45 yards. His long last season was a 43-yarder, but he did attempt one from 50-plus, which means Charlie Strong's staff thought he could make it from that distance. He was 2 of 3 from 40-49 yards and 18 of 20 from 17-39 yards. The junior from Cecilia, Ky., sat out spring because of an injury, but is expected to be ready for the season. He ranks third in the program record books with 36 field goals in his career.
The punting unit was one of the weapons in U of L's all-around suffocating defensive record last fall. Johnson dropped 11 of his 39 punts inside the 20 in 2013 and booted three for 50-plus yards. He averaged 41.2 yards per punt, and returners only gained 15 total yards on 13 attempted returns.
On punt returns, quick receivers Rogers and De La Cruz are back to handle duties once again. Rogers, who should have a big season as a slot receiver in Bobby Petrino's high-powered passing offense, collected 10 punts last fall for 82 yards. His longest return was 29 yards. De La Cruz handled the same number of punts but churned out just 29 yards, with a long of seven yards.
The sophomore Quick, a Louisville kid considered the highest-rated high school prospect U of L has ever signed, is back returning kicks for the first time in his career. At 6 feet, 170 pounds, he's fast and shifty, and he has good hands. He'll be paired with Gaines, who is the second-fastest player on the team, according to Petrino, behind running back Corvin Lamb.
Gaines is the most explosive option in the kick/punt returning unit. He took back one punt and one kickoff each for touchdowns last season, the punt return going for 35 yards and the kick return going for 93. He returned 10 kicks last fall for an average of 30.1 yards per return.
Tomorrow's position preview: defensive line