RANA L. CASH / The Sporting News

Kickoff return guys have to be gutsy and a bit daring. An entire coverage team is gunning for them, each aiming to unleash a violent collision that will make the returner think twice—maybe more—about doing something outlandish.

It’s that element of danger the NCAA playing rules oversight committee has tried to blunt with changes that go into effect this season. Kickoffs will be made from the 35-yard line instead of the 30. The kickoff coverage team only gets a 5-yard running start, and touchbacks will be placed on the 25-yard line instead of the 20.

If the NFL’s recent rules changes are an indication, the college game is likely to see fewer jaw-dropping returns.

The NFL implemented before the 2011 season the same rules for kickoffs (excluding the change in touchbacks). The results were dramatic. In 2010, there were 23 kickoffs returned for touchdowns, compared to only nine last season. The disparity in touchbacks was just as revealing: 416 in 2010; 1,120 in 2011.

Similar trends could be found in college football this season. Still, there are a handful of teams based on their 2011 production that could have a distinct advantage because of the changes.

They are teams with double weapons—a nearly impenetrable kickoff coverage team, and a dangerous kickoff returners.

There were 18 teams with 20 or more touchbacks last year. Of those, only four—Purdue, Nebraska, Auburn and Oklahoma State—have kickoff returners back who were ranked in the top 25. But, each of those teams also gave up more than 22 yards when they did allow a return.

To get a better assessment, look at teams like Cincinnati, UCF, Oregon, North Carolina and Western Kentucky for the types of special teams units that stand to gain the most leverage in field position. Each has one of last year’s better kickoff returners back for 2012, and each was ranked among the top 25 in yards allowed per return.

It’s safe to say that more time than usual is being spent this spring thinking about and working on return strategies.

“Last year we found ourselves covering every kick,” said Allen Mogridge, the first-year UCF special teams and tight ends coach who spent the past three seasons at North Carolina. “You didn’t have that extra 5 yards (on touchbacks). Now as you game plan and you look at opponents, you have to ask, ‘Do we want to cover every kick? It will be interesting to see what the strategy is going to be. Do we feel like we can get down there and corral the guy inside the 25 or 20?

“It’s definitely going to change the return game.”

For the rules oversight committee, that was the point.

When former Rutgers player Eric LeGrand was paralyzed as a result of an injury sustained during a kickoff in 2010, then-Rutgers coach Greg Schiano advocated for the removal of kickoffs from the game completely. He found some support in the coaching community for eliminating kickoffs. The committee didn’t go that far, but the safety concerns were paramount.

“If they feel like it’s making the game safer, they have a right to change the rules,” said Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah. “I don’t think there was a problem with it.”

Abdullah finished his freshman season in 2011 ranked ninth in the nation with 29.35 yards per return, including one taken back for a touchdown against Fresno State. He’s among a group of players capable of turning the mundane into something exhilarating.

In addition to New Mexico State senior Taveon Rogers’ national-best three returns for touchdowns last season, there were 10 others who took two all the way. Time will tell if those results plummet. And if players are better protected.

Temple senior kicker Brandon McManus said the changes will “prevent a decent amount of injuries.” Still, there’s no way of eliminating them entirely. For his part, McManus said he has worked this spring on more directional kicks and on pinning the ball in the corners inside the 20.

He acknowledged not all kickers are capable of consistently putting the ball in the end zone and instead rely on the coverage team to make a play after sky kicks. Poor coverage teams must decide whether to just give away 5 yards on a touchback brought to the 25, or to try and defend the return.

The worst-case scenario, though, is the same as it has always been: a standout and determined return guy facing a suspect return team. When that happens, you get results like Cincinnati’s.

The Bearcats, with kicker Tony Miliano, yielded only 18.90 kickoff return yards per game, which ranked 16th. And their returner, Ralph David Abernathy IV, as a freshman was seventh in the country with a total of 1,034 return yards. The odds of a field position advantage gained on special teams would seem to be in Cincinnati’s favor. That doesn’t mean Abernathy’s going to defy common sense.

“You have to stay within what you’re taught,” Abernathy said. “Do what you’re supposed to do and don’t try to make something out of nothing.”

Regardless of the new rules, the competitor in guys like Abernathy and Abdullah will see a wedge and want to bust through it. With the coverage team having less of a running start, but 5 fewer yards to cover, the chances of making something special happen on returns are sure to be fewer.

The chance to try, though, isn’t any less enticing.

“I pride myself on making a play each time I step out there on the field,” said Abdullah. “I feel like I can come out and do something with it. We’ll see. I’m not going to be afraid to bring it out by any means.”

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

ASHLAND, Ky. – The inaugural Ray Guy Prokicker.com High School All-Americans include some of the nation’s top punting, kicking, kickoff and long-snapping prospects.

Players were selected after much vetting from the Prokicker.com staff, who watched and coached the players during camps, and also by how the players performed on the field during the 2011 high school season.

“Our staff has personally watched these players and worked with these players during camps,” said Prokicker.com founder and camp director Rick Sang. “We’ve seen them and know what they can do.”

There were four All-America categories – punting, kicking, long-snapping and kickoff specialist. The last category is believed to be the first of its kind in receiving All-America postseason recognition.

“There are a lot of facets to special teams and we feel like this is an important one that sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to being recognized as the best,” Sang said.

Selecting the first All-America team with the Ray Guy Prokicker.com brand was something that Sang wanted to make sure was done as accurately and fairly as possible. Prokicker.com rankings and ratings weighed into the selection process but only because that meant staff members had either worked with or watched these honorees perform.

“We’re proud of what these young men have accomplished for their high school teams and look for each one of them to play at the college level,” Sang said.

Eight different states were represented: Georgia (two), Texas (two), Florida (two), Kentucky, Virginia (two), Arizona, South Carolina and Arkansas.

Among the first-, second- and third-team selections three players – kickers Harrison Butker, Nick Tankersley and Patrick Sohrt – were selected as Ray Guy Prokicker.com All-Americans in two different categories.

Butker, a combo kicker for The Westminster Schools near Atlanta, was the first-team All-America kicker and third-team punter.

Sohrt, the left-footed kicker from St. Joseph High School in Victoria, Tex., was a second-team All-America selection as both a punter and kickoff specialist.

Tankersley, who helped Manatee High School capture the Florida Class 7A championship, was the second-team kicker and the third-team kickoff specialist. He was 18 of 26 on field goals and 68 of his 100 kickoffs went for touchbacks.

Ray Guy, the former All-Pro punter for the Oakland Raiders who is considered the greatest punter in NFL history, was proud to lend his name to the inaugural Ray Guy Prokicker.com High School All-Americans.

“These young men have proven that they’re the best of the best,” Guy said. “I’ve seen many of them personally in camps and know the work ethic that goes with being a great kicker or punter. These guys have that something special, that ‘it’ factor, that separates them from the pack. This is just a steppingstone for many of them. We look for them to do great things at the next level.”

First-team selections were:

punter: Thomas Meadows (6-0, 170, senior), Goochland, Va., Goochland High School, Purdue commit.Averaged 41.2 yards per punt for Goochland High School, the Division II Class A state runner-up. He had 13 punts inside the 20 and allowed only 14 return yards. He was first-team district, first-team region, All-Metro and participated in the Chesapeake Bowl where he punted five times for a 46-yard average.

Meadows credits his early experience with Prokicker.com into making him a top-notch punter.

“They really teach the techniques,” Meadows said. “I took a different approach than most kids my age did. Most kids my age went out and kicked the ball. I wanted to learn how to do it the right way. I wanted to establish my form. In my opinion, and in Rick Sang’s opinion, I’ve got some of the best form of anybody my age.”

Meadows will compete for the punting, kickoff and placekicking jobs when he gets to Purdue this summer.

“It depends on how I do in the offseason but I could be doing all three (for Purdue in the fall).”

kicker: Harrison Butker (6-3, 170, junior), Atlanta, Ga., Westminster.All-State First Team in Class AA Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia Sports Writers Association; All Metro, all classification, in Atlanta/South Fulton area; participated in Georgia Junior Bowl.

Butker made 16 of 17 field goals with only miss coming from 59 yards. Butker connected on a 51-yard field goal. He also had touchbacks on 47 of 59 kickoffs (80 percent) and also punted for a 39.5 average on 33 punts. Four of them were more than 50 yards with six downed inside the opponent’s 20.

 “It was an incredible season,” Butker said. “A lot of credit goes to the (long)-snappers and holders. I was lucky to have a kicking coach (Joe Sturniolo) and a head coach (Gerry Romberg) who liked to kick.”

KICKOFF SPECIALIST: Zach Burgy-VanHoose (6-1, 214, senior), Pikeville, Ky., Pikeville High School. Led high school team to Class A state semifinals by booming 85 percent of kickoffs for touchbacks. kicker for Kentucky in Border Bowl against Tennessee and was selected as kicker on the WMYT All-Mountain Team.

“It definitely is great to be able to end the high school season with that award. It makes you feel good; makes you feel like all the hard work is finally paying off.”

LONG-SNAPPER: Rey Higuera (5-11, 225, senior), Gilbert, Ariz., Perry High School. Arizona All-State 5A Division II first-team; All-Region, All-Section first team; snapped in Semper Fidelis Bowl; Prokicker.com national champion long-snapper for 2011.

“I’ve been long-snapping since I was a sophomore but I didn’t start getting competitive in it until the end of my junior year,” Higuera said. “Our team had a guy who was long-snapping and getting fairly good. We had heard about a coach (Ben Bernard) in Phoenix (Arizona Elite Long snapping in North Phoenix) who turned out a lot of Division I long-snappers. I really enjoyed playing football but was not the most athletically gifted person. I had to work to get where I am.”

Second-team selections were:

punter/KICKOFF SPECIALIST: Patrick Sohrt (6-2, 205, senior), Victoria, Tex., St. Joseph High School. Sohrt did a little bit of everything for his team in the kicking department but excelled on punt and kickoffs.

“I actually think my punting got better from last year. We had a 1-9 season, so we did punt a lot,” Sohrt said.

Despite St. Joseph’s record, Sohrt was named a first-team All-State punter. “I’d like to do punting and kickoffs (in college) but I’ll do whatever they ask me to do. I just want the chance.”

kicker: Nick Tankersley (6-1, 165, senior), Bradenton, Fla., Manatee High School. Tankersley had a huge season for Florida 7A state champion Manatee High School, which finished 13-2. “When you play that many games, it’s good experience and good exposure.” Tankersley made 18 of 26 field goals with a long of 53 yards, a school record. Four of his misses were from 50-plus yards. He also had 68 touchbacks on 100 kickoffs and punted 39 times for a net average of 37.18. He allowed only 28 punt return yards.

“He can do all of it (in the kicking game),” said Manatee assistant coach Dennis Stallard. “He’s probably more natural kicker/kickoff guy. He taught himself through what he learned at Prokicker.com camps. It’s not a natural motion for a kid with a soccer background.”

LONG-SNAPPER: Ike Powell (6-3, 240, sophomore), Tifton, Ga., Tift County High School. Powell was the Ray Guy Prokicker.com National Championship runner-up for 2011 and was the national winner in the underclassman division.He was All-Area in a four-county area. Powell is also the youngest Prokicker.com All-American selection and the top-ranked player in his class at long-snapper.

Here’s what Jacob Claycomb, a Prokicker.com staff member, said about Powell:

“Ike has always been really gifted. You can tell he works hard at it. He has his own target in the back yard. Most kids don’t know their exact score before you tell him. Ike threw the last ball and said ‘Oh, man, 24 points.’ He had a running clock in his head. Ike’s pretty much the whole package. He’s probably one of the better long-snappers I’ve had come through the camps. He’s such a hard worker.

During the national championships his fastest snap was .77 and his average was .83.

 Third-team selections were:

punter (tie): Mitchell Ludwig (6-0, 170, junior), Abingdon, Va., Abingdon High School. First-team district and regional punter, second-team kicker; Virginia preps.com AA First-Team All-State punter and Virginia Preps.com AA underclassmen First Team All-State punter; set five school kicking and punting records; one state of Virginia record submitted (single game six punts for 50.33 yard average).

Harrison Butker (6-3, 170, junior), Atlanta, Ga., Westminster (See information above).

kicker: Houston Ray (5-11, 170, junior), Van Buren, Ark., Van Buren High School.

KICKOFF SPECIALIST (tie): Sean Covington (6-1, 175, junior), St. Petersburg, Fla., St. Petersburg High School; Nick Tankersley(6-1, 165, senior), Bradenton, Fla., Manatee High School.

LONG-SNAPPER (tie): Mike Sulka (6-4, 240, senior), Bluffton, S.C., Bluffton High School; Fred McClimans (6-0, 205, senior), Flower Mound, Tex., Flower Mound High School.

HONORABLE MENTION

KICKERS

Nick Bartolotta, Fox High School (Mo.), class of 2012

Sean Covington, St. Petersburg High School (Fla.), class of 2013

Andy Ellington, Winfield High School (W.Va.), class of 2012

Pedro Ramello, Fishers High School (Ind.), class of 2012

Austin Jordan, Airport High School (S.C.), class of 2012

Trent Domingue, St. Paul’s School (La.), class of 2012

PUNTERS

Alex Barta, Clarkston High School (Mich.), class of 2012

Cliff Hurst, Centreville Academy (La.), class of 2012

Brian Bostrom, Kings Academy (Calif.), class of 2012

KICKOFF SPECIALISTS

Mark Grant, Mosley High School (Fla.), class of 2012

Ryan Frain, Scecina Memorial High School (Ind.), class of 2012

Harrison Butker, Westminster Schools (Ga.), class of 2013

Nick Bartolotta, Fox High School (Mo.), class of 2012

Carson Greifenkamp, Murray High School (Ky.), class of 2012

LONG-SNAPPERS

Chris Fitzpatrick, Anderson County High School (Ky.), class of 2012

Leonard Skubal, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) High School, class of 2012

Chad Leonard, Queens Creek High School (Ariz.), class of 2012

Travis Taulbee, Montgomery County High School (Ky.), class of 2012

Zack Hirth, Eureka High School (Mo.), class of 2012

Nick Walter, Pickerington Central (Ohio) High School, class of 2013

Billy Oldach, The Rivers School (Ma.), class of 2012

Brent Becenti, Ganado High School (Ariz.), class of 2012

By Tim Gayle / Montgomery Advertiser

Alabama State's Bobby Wenzig considers himself more than just a kicker.

"What I always try to do is be an athlete," said the sophomore, who also punts. "If I could, I'd be trying to play wide receiver. I know I'm one of the fastest guys on the team but no one believes me. I'd like to do more, but I'm here to do one job."

Head coach Reggie Barlow has had a few involved discussions with his newest kicker and said he doesn't fit the mold of an average college football player.

"He's an online trader," Barlow said. "He wants his own business."

On the field, Wenzig all business.

A transfer from Arizona State, Wenzig has taken over for the graduated Anthony Speight at punter, beaten out kicker Andrew Lyons for that job and has made an immediate impact with the Hornets.

"Coach Barlow was looking for a mature kicker who had paid his dues and would take over the job," Wenzig said. "That's exactly what I wanted to do."

He played tailback and receiver in youth football and ran track in high school in San Diego, but knew his future was in kicking. He considered Ohio State, his father's alma mater, and Pennsylvania (for academics) before settling on Arizona State.

But sitting behind Lou Groza Award candidate Thomas Weber wasn't what he wanted. Even after filling in for the injured Weber over a six-game period in 2009, he wasn't offered a scholarship, so he decided to find one.

"It was great to have (former Alabama State special teams) coach (Greg) Green recruit me. ... I got a recruiting visit here and signed up two weeks later."

Wenzig, who makes his home debut today, has been impressive. He is 6-of-6 on extra points and 2-of-3 field goals, with his only miss a blocked attempt caused by poor protection.

As a punter, he is averaging 38.4 yards, with five of his 13 punts downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

"We knew we needed a kicker," Barlow said. "Drew (Lyons) had been injured and is on an academic scholarship. After seeing (Wenzig) on tape, we were convinced he could do them all. We honestly thought he was better than we had."

"The reason he was leaving Arizona State was because they wouldn't give him a scholarship so we knew we were going to have to scholarship him if we were going to bring him all the way from California by way of Arizona."

Wenzig knew nothing about the state of Alabama or Alabama State, but jumped at the opportunity.

"You had a national championship at Auburn, you had a national championship at Alabama," he said. "Why not come to a school in the state of Alabama, which has the best football?"

While his newfound love for football in the Deep South is a passion, it isn't a priority. Wenzig considers himself first and foremost a college student with an eye on the future.

"I'm looking at the stock market, but right now we don't know which way that is going," Wenzig said. "I have an interest in computer information systems, so right now I'm trying to double major in finance and CIS, even though you're not allowed to, because I have an interest in both business and technology, integrating them together. So I might as well learn both.

"If the NFL gives me an opportunity, I'll take it, but I already know, otherwise, what I would want to do."

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland football team completed its first week of spring practice Saturday after the Terps worked out for the third time.

"It was great getting on the field for the first time," head coach Randy Edsall said Monday on a conference call with reporters.

The Terps have only held one practice in pads. Per NCAA rules, the team is not allowed to wear pads during the first two spring workouts.

"You can only find out so much in those first three days because of the limitations," Edsall said. "But we did a lot of work with different personnel groups. We got a lot of work on red zone and two-minute."

Edsall liked we he saw in those situations.

"All in all I thought we got a lot accomplished," Edsall said. "I thought by the third practice, the young men really understood the tempo that we want to practice with and the intensity we want to practice with. I think those first three days were very good ones."

The Terps, who will be in pads this week, will ramp it up a little more over the next three practices, focusing on the two-minute drill, installing blitz packages and a variety of offensive and defensive situations.

The team will have 12 more practices, including three scrimmages, this spring. The Terps will cap the spring with the annual Red-White game on April 30.

The Terps are looking for a punter and place-kicker for 2011. Travis Baltz handled both duties last year. Nick Ferrara and Michael Tart, the only kickers on the current roster, each worked at both punter and place-kicker last week.

Ferrara, who was the No. 1 place-kicker in 2009, made a 37-yard field goal in game-like conditions at the end of Saturday's practice which featured rain and intermittent hail. Edsall also praised the efforts of long snappers Tim Downs and Greg Parcher. The Terps have not had a punt blocked in the last 137 games, the longest streak in the nation. Downs has been the No. 1 long snapper the last two seasons. Parcher served as his backup last year.