Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1512721
3 6 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M N eeding new starters at nearly ev- ery position, from placekicker to punter to long snapper, Penn State's special teams units were a con- cern heading into preseason camp. That concern was magnified on Sept. 2 when the Nittany Lions missed their first two field goals of the year, both from make- able distances. By t h e t i m e t h e re g u l a r sea so n wrapped up, however, the kicking units had to be considered among the Lions' foremost strengths. Two of the team's big transfer portal additions — senior punter Riley Thompson and senior kicker Alex Felkins — both put together solid seasons for PSU. In addition, the return game got a jolt from redshirt se- nior Daequan Hardy, and the less well- known players such as redshirt sopho- more long snapper Tyler Duzansky and redshirt sophomore kickoff special- ist Gabriel Nwosu performed reliably throughout the year. "Our specialists are playing at a re- ally high level," coach James Franklin said following the Lions' 27-6 victory over Rutgers in their home finale. "Our punter, Riley Thompson, had a 52-yard average [against the Scarlet Knights]. SPECIAL DELIVERY The kicking units have come through in a big way for Penn State this season M AT T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M Alex Felkins took over the starting placekicker position early in the season and went on to become one of the Big Ten's more reliable kickers, hitting 18 of 22 field goal attempts. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL