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Position battles fill Purdue's special teams unit

by: Dub Jellison5 hours agodubjellison

Purdue special teams coordinator James Shibest is tasked with replacing two of his most productive starters from a season ago, and is taking spring practice to break in his new talent in the unit.

The most notable of which comes in the kicking game, as Purdue replaces Spencer Porath, who enrolled at Notre Dame after his breakout sophomore campaign with the Boilermakers, going 15-17 on field goals, with a 50-yard connection in the Michigan game.

With Porath gone, it is a two-way battle for the field goal kicking spot in 2026. Kickoff specialist Seth Turner, who transferred in from UConn prior to last year, is getting the bulk of the reps during spring practice. Purdue also has touted incoming freshman Jacobo Echevarria Lozano getting to campus after spring ball.

Both offer intrigue with their respective leg talent, but neither have kicked a field goal in a college football game before.

“I think this has been really good for Seth Turner to really get some good work. He has shown being really, really consistent. He’s just never kicked field goals in games. I thought he did a good job for us on kickoffs last year. Of course we got the young one coming in, Jacobo (Echevarria Lozano). And that’ll be a good battle with that.

All-Big Ten punter Jack McCallister is also off to pursue a pro career and Shibest landed a talented replacement for him out of the transfer portal in ex-Buffalo punter Dylan Drennan. The All-MAC second team selection is set to battle returning reserve Sam Dubwig, who sat behind McCallister a season ago.

The competition is close between the two young punters, according to Shibest.

“We are really pleased. We think we got two really solid punters in Sam Dubwig and then Dylan Drennan that transferred from Buffalo. So we’ve been really pleased with both them guys and we think both of them guys will be ready to play. So, it’ll be a good good battle to see who wins that job,” Shibest said.

The return game will also feature new faces for Shibest and the Boilermakers in 2026. Michael Jackson III handled the majority of the work for Purdue in the return game last fall, but a number of options have presented themselves this spring.

A trio of newcomers, transfer receivers Xavier Townsend and Asaad Waseem, and transfer running back Travis Terrell have all caught the attention of the Boilermakers’ special teams coordinator.

“I’ve been really really really excited about (Xavier) Townsend back there at punt returner. Number one, just ball skill-wise and and decision-making wise. He has done it in the past at other places. Also Travis Terrell shows some explosion uh back there. Assad Waseem has done a good job,” Shibest said.

Townsend and Terrell were key returners at previous schools, with Terrell being an FCS All-American at Jackson State for his special teams prowess. Townsend also has over 800 return yards in his career, at UCF and Iowa State.

While kicker, punter, and kick/punt return will all feature fresh faces, one special teams component will remain the same, as long snapper Luke Raab reprises his starting role in year two of his Boilermaker tenure.

Shibest had high praise for Raab, who he considers to be one of the better long snappers in the country.

“I think he’s one of the better ones in the country. And it’s not just the snapping, he’s really consistent with that, but boy, his coverage skills down the field. He was on top of that returner a lot last year. If people got to account for that, then it frees up other guys, too. So, very valuable. I tell you what, he’s valuable for a whole team. And he’s not looked at as like a specialist by his teammates. I mean, he is ball player and a great leader for our whole team, too,” Shibest said.

The Purdue special teams unit was strong last season in the kicking game, but will need newcomers to step up to continue the momentum into 2026 for Shibest and company.

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