Special teams analyst Jay Nunez leaves OU for Alabama
OU will be searching for a new special teams analyst, as Jay Nunez is leaving for Alabama, sources confirmed to SoonerScoop.com.
Nunez has coached special teams for the Sooners for the past two seasons in an analyst role. He will be a full-time assistant for Alabama as the Crimson Tide’s special teams coordinator. It’s currently unclear who will replace Nunez. OU and coach Brent Venables did not want to lose Nunez, despite a struggling special teams unit in 2023.
Last season, Nunez’s unit finished 94th in SP+ rankings on special teams. The Sooners ranked 39th in 2022. OU was especially last season on punt, ranking 95th in return average and 44th in net punting. They also weren’t great on field goals, with Zach Schmit going 15-of-21 during the season.
OU needs to drastically improve on special teams next season. And with Nunez now gone, it’s not clear who will lead that charge. New co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zac Alley has coached special teams before at Boise State in 2020. He was named FootballScoop’s Special Teams Coordinator of the Year. He will likely have a hand in coaching special teams for the Sooners moving forward. But it’s also likely that OU will look to hire some outside for the analyst position.
As for who returns on special teams for OU, the Sooners do have a lot of veterans to work with. Punt returner Gavin Freeman will be back, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if there is a competition for that spot after Freeman struggled down the stretch. And Jalil Farooq, who returned kickoffs last year, is back, but he may also have to fight for his job. Schmit will be in a battle for placekicker, with several newcomers in Norman. And Luke Elzinga should be the starting punter after taking over the job halfway through last season.
