It may not be a glamorous position but it can help change the outcome of the game, and so as Penn State added punter Blake Gillikin to the 2016 recruiting class this weekend it is not a moment to overlook.
The Atlanta native is ranked as the fourth-best 2016 punter by Kohl’s Kicking and Punting.
Scout.com ranks him as a three-star prospect, which is all things considered a compliment for a position that goes largely unranked by most services.
While signing a specialist, be it a kicker or punter, goes largely unnoticed by most, it is yet another significant moment in Penn State’s recovery from NCAA sanctions. Penn State’s current roster is populated entirely by walk-on and non scholarship specialists, and while that will likely be a serviceable option in the coming year, Penn State’s ability to offer kickers and punters scholarships will only increase the quality of play at those positions.
For James Franklin it’s a luxury he can finally have.
“That’s not the ideal situation,” he said of a walk-on heavy unit earlier this year. “We don’t have one scholarship invested in a specialist. Typically there’s a handful – maybe five snappers, five kickers, five punters – in the country that get scholarships out of high school each year. By the time we got the job those guys were already gone.”
Even with the time to scout specialists since Franklin took the job, there is a reluctance to use scholarships on those players. In a world where talent in other positions is more crucial to the program’s ability to rebuild a scholarship to a punter or kicker gives limited returns. For example, a cornerback can change positions to defensive back, a defensive end could become a linebacker.
A kicker or punter undoubtedly lacks the skill set to make similar position changes. In turn, if a kicker or punter doesn’t pan out there isn’t much Penn State can do about it and the scholarship is essentially wasted. And this team that does not have the flexibility lose scholarships.
Penn State’s hope is that all of Gillikin’s hype matches his performances.
“The ball jumps off his foot very well. He has good steps and natural rhythm in his punting approach,” Kohl’s says in its evaluation. “Blake is a confident punter who is very competitive. His ability was apparent throughout the camp.”
“He likes the big stage and will be one of the best punters in his class. Blake is an all around athlete who plays multiple sports and will do well in a college environment.”
He certainly sounds like a scholarship athlete.
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