Ranking the Big Ten: Punter
As the 2022 college football season quickly approaches, it is time to look at the top players in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series by rating the top five punters in the conference, including some of the best kickers in the country and a newcomer to the league.
Related: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DL | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K |
1. Adam Korsak, Rutgers
Rutgers punter Adam Korsak is the best returning punter in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country. Korsak set the NCAA record in 2021 for net punt average with a 45.25 average and led the Power Five in net punt average during the regular season.
The 2021 First-Team All-Big Ten coaches selection led the Big Ten with a 19.4 return percentage, 40 punts inside the 20-yard line and had the longest punt of a returner with a 74-yarder. He also had the third-highest returning Pro Football Focus (PFF) punt grade (78.5) in the conference.
Korsak has punted roughly 12,000 yards over his four seasons at Rutgers and has allowed five touchbacks. The Lindy’s 2022 Preseason Second-Team All-American has a streak of 120 straight punts without a touchback dating back to 2019.
The Australian native was named the Nation’s No. 2 punter by Lindy’s and the Walter Camp Preseason Season First-Team All-American. Korsak holds five Rutgers school records, an NCAA record and is determined to set more records in 2022.
2. Tory Taylor, Iowa
Iowa punter Tory Taylor punted the second-most yards in Power Five football in 2021 with 3,691 yards on 80 attempts, breaking an Iowa single-season record.
The junior from Australia placed 39 punts inside the 20-yard line, the third most in FBS behind San Diego State’s Matt Araiza, who had 41, and Korsak. The 2021 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the league’s coaches and media averaged 46.1 yards per punt with a 42.1 net average.
Taylor, who didn’t play American football in high school, had the most touchbacks in the Big Ten (13), the second most kicks downed by a special teams squad (17) and the third most fair catches (27).
Now as an upperclassman with two solid seasons of American football under his belt, Taylor has been named a 2022 Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten selection by Lindy’s and a Second-Team selection by Athlon Sports as well as the Nation’s No. 3 Punter according to Lindy’s.
3. Brad Robbins, Michigan
Michigan punter Brad Robbins is back for his sixth and final season of college. The 2021 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the league coaches has the No. 1 returning punt grade in the Big Ten with an 84 and ranked No. 10 in Power Five last season.
As for the Big Ten, Robbins led the conference in returning hangtime with a 4.30-second average, he ranked second with 46.4 average yards per punt and in return yards as nine of his punts were returned for 35 total yards. He had three touchbacks in 2021 and ranked eighth with 17 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Robbins missed the entire 2018 season and the vast majority of the 2019 season due to an injury but has started all 19 games for the Wolverines in the last two seasons.
Lindy’s picked the super senior as a 2022 Preseason Second-Team All-Big Ten selection and named Robbins as the Nation’s No. 4 punter.
4. Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer is another sixth-year senior who knows the Big Ten well. Baringer even spent his first season at Illinois before transferring to East Lansing.
The Michigan native set a school single-season record with his 48.4-yard punting average, which also ranked second-best in Big Ten history. Baringer’s average yard per punt attempt ranked first in the Big Ten in 2021 and fourth in the Power Five.
The 2021 Second-Team All-Big Ten selection by the league’s coaches and media ranked fourth in PFF’s punt grade of returning players in the conference with a 75.9 grade. His 43.6 average net yards per punt was also fourth.
In 2021, Baringer placed 21 punts inside the 20-yard line, had a long punt of 74 yards and punted 59 times for a total of 2,855 yards. He ranked second in the Big Ten with 26 punts of over 50 yards.
5. Brian Buschini, Nebraska
Nebraska added Montana transfer punter Brian Buschini who was named the 2021 FCS Punter of the Year and an FCS First-Team All-American.
Buschini dominated during his three seasons at Montana. Amongst the 129 FCS teams, Buschini’s punt grade of 80.2 ranked third behind former Husker Caleb Lightbourn, who is now at Idaho after a stint at Oregon State.
The 2021 All-Big Sky First Team selection had the most punting yards with 3,200 yards on 70 attempts, pinned the most punts inside the 20-yard line (37) and had the No. 1 hangtime (4.05 seconds) in FCS. The Montana native’s 43.4 average net yards per punt ranked second and his 45.7 average yards per punt ranked third.
Buschini rocketed off a few 60-yarders in the Huskers’ spring game and we are a few months from seeing it in a real game. The signs are looking up for him to continue his dominance in the FCS into the Big Ten.
