The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JULY 2019 ■ 89 SPECIAL TEAMS NC State has an experienced option in the punt return game. Redshirt sophomore receiver Thayer Thomas averaged 9.3 yards on 15 punt returns with a long of 40 yards. He ranked eighth in the ACC with his average. The Pack's primary kickoff returner last year was Maurice Trowell, who exhausted his eligibility after last fall. Trowell averaged 22.0 yards on 17 returns with a long of 47 yards to rank seventh in the ACC in kick return average. Thomas is among the candidates to replace Trowell on kickoff re- turns. "Any time you have depth at both of those positions, you feel pretty good about your program, and we do," Goebbel said. "We have guys fighting for that position, and you have Thayer back there with his veteran leadership. His experience is always good to have going into a season. "Thayer has done a great job throughout his career. We are ex- cited about him, and as we go on, we have some dynamic guys that can handle the football. We'll get them ready to play. "[Freshman running back] Zon- ovan Knight has the ability to be elusive. [Freshman receiver] Keyon Lesane is another guy. [Redshirt ju- nior receiver] C.J. Riley has done it. Thayer has done it. We have a good combination of new guys that have breakaway ability, but we also have some experience to go with it." ■ Getting To Know: Mackenzie Morgan Mackenzie Morgan's path to NC State started with him not wanting to be a plumber in Perth, Australia. "I had basically told my dad that I wanted to do the punting thing," Morgan said. "I knew I had the knack for punting through Australian rules. "Thank the Lord, I'm not doing plumbing." Ultimately what helped Morgan's recruitment to NC State was the litany of success - ful punters from Australia that have arrived at U.S. colleges. Australian punters had a five-year run of winning the Ray Guy Award for being the best punter in the country, and while the streak was snapped in 2018, two of the three finalists were from the land down under. NC State head coach Dave Doeren told his staff to find him an Australian punter. Mor- gan was ready to leave home after finishing up his college degree in 2017 at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. Nathan Chapman, the guru of punting in Australia, declared Morgan as the "next man up" in his Melbourne-based Prokick program, and that's how NC State found out about him. "I got an offer from NC State in December 2017, and then I was pretty much back in Australia studying and training, while my Visa stuff got sorted," Morgan said, who is majoring in business administration. The former Australian rules football player arrived at NC State last August after a plane trip that totaled around 35 hours and called it a "long journey" — but one that has been worthwhile so far. "Aug. 3, 2018, I flew in at 9 p.m. that night to Raleigh, and Doug Shearer and Joe McKillip picked me up at the airport," Morgan said. "Ten hours later, I was meeting Coach Doeren for the first time, and it was fall camp. It was just crazy." He redshirted this past season and learned from punter A.J. Cole. Morgan had previously injured the ACL in his right knee and then had a scare in his left knee. He understands how fast things can change. He's a right-legged punter, but in a pinch could punt lefty. He has already set the goal of averaging 46 yards per punt. Memphis punter Tom Hornsey won the Ray Guy Award in 2013 to kick-start the Aus - tralian punting invasion. Utah's Tom Hackett won it in 2014 and 2015, and then Utah's Mitch Wishnowsky in 2016 and Texas' Michael Dickson in 2017. Wake Forest and North Carolina also had Australian punters in recent years, and Morgan has reached out to Duke basketball power forward Jack White, who is also from his home country. Morgan will sometimes get asked if he knows the other Aus- tralian punters. "It's a long story, but I'm actually in a group chat with the guys," Morgan admitted. "We call ourselves 'The Truman Show' after the movie because it was such a journey for all of us to get here. "I'm really good mates, or good friends, with Max Duffy at Kentucky, Arryn Siposs at Auburn and Louis Hedley, who just got offered by Miami. Also, Rhys Burns at Lafayette." Moving to Raleigh proved to be a culture shock in many ways. He does some - times have to answer a few out-of-the-box questions from his teammates on what life is like back home. "The biggest challenge was finding coffee because we are big on coffee in Aus- tralia," Morgan said. "It was a nightmare for two months. I also never heard of Out- back Steakhouse either. "I was asked, 'Do we drive cars in Australia?' I was also asked if we see a shark in Australia, do we fight it? I was like, 'No mate.'" — Jacey Zembal Redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Morgan hopes to become the latest Australian punting success. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Year-By-Year Kicking Stats Year FG PAT Punt Avg. 2018 23-26 51-51 41.5 2017 10-20 49-52 42.9 2016 9-17 42-45 39.7 2015 7-14 55-57 41.8 2014 12-17 46-48 45.4 2013 19-23 31-31 42.0 2012 13-23 44-46 38.4 2011 11-16 46-47 37.2 2010 21-27 49-50 37.8 2009 10-12 46-47 37.1 Special Teams Roster STARTERS No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 32 Christopher Dunn K So. 5-8 180 Lexington, N.C. Made 23 of 26 field goals and all 51 of his extra point tries while being named second- team All-ACC in 2018. 98 Mackenzie Morgan P R-So. 6-2 215 Perth, Australia Hopes to become the latest Australian punting success. Aussie punters won the Ray Guy Award as college's football best punter from 2013-17. 91 Joe Shimko LS Fr. 6-0 210 Belmar, N.J. Chris Rubio rated him as the fourth-best long snapper in the 2019 class. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 99 Trenton Gill P R-So. 6-4 217 Hillsborough, N.C. Walk-on who made 8 of 12 field goals and 41 of 44 extra points his senior year at Cedar Ridge High and will be competing for the starting job at punter with Morgan. 93 Griffin Hicks LS R-Fr. 6-1 173 Charlotte Walk-on from Charlotte Christian High. 92 Jackson Quiggle LS R-Jr. 5-11 231 Sanford, N.C. Walk-on from Southern Lee High. Quick Facts Position Coaches: Todd Goebbel (first season) Returning Starters: K Christopher Dunn and PR Thayer Thomas Starters Lost: P A.J. Cole, LS Tyler Griffiths and KR Maurice Trowell FYI: Lindy's and Athlon both tabbed sophomore kicker Christopher Dunn to be a second-team All-ACC performer … Dunn was considered a prized recruit after he set a North Carolina state record for career touchbacks (89), while his 30 career field goals are tied for fifth in state history and his long of 57 is tied for the sixth-longest make … Freshman running back Zonovan Knight, who is a contender to return kickoffs, had five runbacks (two punts and three kickoffs) for touchdowns in his career at Southern Nash High.