2022 SEC Unit Rankings: The Top 5 SEC special teams groups
Kickers and punters are routinely the butt of college football jokes on Twitter, but a quality special teams unit remains a key distinction between good teams and so-so ones. Just ask Mike Leach and Mississippi State. The Bulldogs kicking horror-show last season cost them multiple wins, as did their struggles stopping opposing punt returners (see: Memphis).
So which SEC schools actually have quality “third units” in 2022?
The league returns a slew of the nation’s better kickers and lots of dynamic returners, so here’s a look at my Top 5 SEC special teams units in 2022:
1. Texas A&M
The Aggies bring back the league’s best punter in Nic Constantinou, as the potential All-American led the conference (and was Top 10 nationally) in yards per punt at 46.6. Texas A&M is breaking in a new kicker after Seth Small exhausted his eligibility, but Ethan Moczulski was ranked as the nation’s top PK in the 2022 recruiting class and he will battle for the starting PK job against Caden Davis, who drilled three field goals in the spring game. The Aggies also have the league’s best pair of dynamic returners, with Ainias Smith and Devone Achane. Smith housed a punt against South Carolina last season, while Achane had a memorable 96-yard kickoff return for a score in the upset over Alabama.
2. Alabama
The Tide have one of the league’s better kickers in senior Will Reichard, who was a Lou Groza Award finalist in 2020. The three-year starter didn’t miss a field goal two seasons ago, and was a respectable 22-of-28 in 2021. The Tide hope for improvement at punter, as Australian sophomore James Burnip averaged just 38.9 yards per kick last season — last in the SEC. Alabama stands to be dynamic in the return game though, especially with the addition of Georgia Tech transfer Jahymr Gibbs. With the Tide looking for all the ways to get the speedster extra touches, the tailback projects as Alabama’s starting kick returner after leading the Yellow Jackets with 569 KR yards and a score last season. At punt returner, sophomore wideout JoJo Earle is the likely starter after sharing duties with Slade Bolden in 2021.
3. Georgia
The Bulldogs must replace one of the better punters in the SEC the last few seasons in Jake Camarda, but the rest of their special teams units should remain a real strength. Jake ‘Hot Pod’ Podlesny is a solid place kicker (22 of 27 on field goals), while Georgia has a slew of returner options, including tailback Kenny McIntosh, wideout Kearis Jackson and several freshmen. Georgia has been elite at block kicks — both punts and kicks — under Kirby Smart and covering kickoffs (No. 1 in the SEC in 2021).
4. Auburn
The Tigers have the best punter-kicker duo in the SEC entering 2022, as PK Anders Carlson and punter Oscar Chapman anchored a strong special teams unit for Auburn last season. Chapman averaged 44.2 yards per punt, second-best in the SEC, while Carlson returns from his ACL injury and has made the second-most field goals in Tigers history (67). Auburn has strong coverage units, especially in punt where they rarely allowed a return. The Tigers will look to shore up their return game this fall, as they mostly lacked explosive plays in both punt and kickoff return. They’re juggling several options at punt (Ja’Varrius Johnson and Koy Moore and kickoff return (Jarquez Hunter and Nehemiah Prichett) during training camp.
5. Missouri
Harrison Mevis is arguably the SEC’s top returning kicker, as the beefy junior was 23 of 25 on field goals in 2021. Mevis has a big leg, drilling all three attempts over 50 yards. The Tigers ranked No. 2 in the conference in kickoff coverage last season, and were solid in punt coverage, too. Missouri lacked juice in the punt return game, ranking last in the SEC last fall. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine was solid as a kickoff returner though (22.2 yards per return, one touchdown) and could get a look at both duties in 2022. Stanford transfer Nathaniel Peat is another strong KR option, as the shifty tailback averaged nearly 25 yards a return last season.
The best of the rest in the SEC:
Arkansas sophomore kicker Cam Little was a Freshman All-American last season after nailing 20 of 24 field goals and not missing a PAT. The Razorbacks’ coverage units need work though, ranking near the bottom of the SEC in both categories.
Tennessee’s special teams unit just missed the Top 5 cut after losing returner Velus Jones (SEC-best 15.1 yards per punt return). Still, the Vols have one of the league’s most seasoned punters, as Paxton Brooks returns for his fifth season of eligibility and is an All-SEC candidate, while USC transfer place kicker Chase McGrath was a nice option (12 of 16 on field goals) in his first season with the Vols.
Mississippi State’s issues at kicker — a problem Mike Leach hopes he solved via the transfer portal this offseason — leaves them short of making the Top 5 list here, however, returner Lideatrick Griffin deserves mention as one of the best in the conference. The junior ranked No. 5 nationally in kickoff return average (32.8 yards per) and took one back for 100 yards in the win over NC State.
Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson, who led the ACC in total punt return yards (328) and average per return (12.6 yards) in 2021. Robinson should be a nice return threat for Kentucky this fall.