2007 CFN Preview - Unit Rankings ... STs

CFN 2007 Preview Unit Rankings - Special Teams Ranked 1 to 119

2007 CFN Unit Rankings

Special Teams

CFN 2007 Unit Rankings
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1. California
With DeSean Jackson electrifying on punt returns, and Andrew Larson and Tom Schneider handling the kicking game, the Cal special teams unit will have few peers in the country in 2007. The Bears return all of the key pieces of a top-tier special teams unit, needing only to decide on a kick returner between seniors Justin Forsett and Lavelle Hawkins, and redshirt freshman James Montgomery.  Cal, on the other hand, is set at punt returner with ackson, a human dynamo that took four back for scores to set a Pac-10 single-season record.

2. Utah
The kicking game is all about junior Louie Sakoda, who had an amazing year punting the ball as Utah finished first in the nation with a net average of 41.58 yards per kick. He's a phenomenal directional kicker putting a whopping 52 punts inside the 20 over the last two seasons while forcing 19 fair catches. He has a big leg as a punter and a decent one as a placekicker connecting on 16 of 20 field goal attempts with three of the misses coming from beyond 40 yards. He's a rare candidate for both the Ray Guy and Lou Groza awards. Corner Brice McCain averaged 22.4 yards per kickoff return and should be a star again.

3. Oklahoma State
The kicking game will be among the best in America with the return of juniors Jason Ricks and Matt Fodge. Fodge had a nice true freshman as the starting punter, but instead of hanging the ball up in the air and going for direction, he started to air it out a bit more as a sophomore and became an All-American averaging 44.9 yards per kick putting 14 inside the 20. He has a huge leg and can pin teams deep from almost anywhere on the field. Ricks came back from missing 2005 with an injury and connected on ten of 12 field goal chances missing from 42 and 40 yards. He has the leg to bomb away from 50+ if needed, and now will take over the kickoff duties from Bruce Redden. A little more help for Perrish Cox in the return game would be nice, but that's nitpicking.

4. Georgia
Senior Brandon Coutu is one of the nation's best kickers, following up a great sophomore campaign, when he hit 23 of 28 field goals, by nailing 10 of 11 before tearing up his hamstring. He has a huge leg, connecting on a 55-yarder, and now he's back and healthy. He'll be one of the team's top offensive weapons. There aren't many better than Coutu, Mikey Henderson and Thomas Flowers, while the coverage units should be decent as long as there more pop on kickoffs. Coutu will take care of that.

5. Oklahoma
This is a spectacular group with a return game that can score any time Reggie Smith or Juaquin Iglesias gets their hands on the ball. Hartley and Cohen are potential all-stars.There isn't a more accurate kicker than senior Garrett Hartley, who nailed 19 of 20 field goals with the one miss a block on a 44-yard attempt against Oregon. With a huge leg with range at just over 50 yards, it should all come together with an All-America season and a shot at the Lou Groza Award. Senior Michael Cohen had a nice year averaging 41 yards per kick, putting eight inside the 20, but junior Mike Knall will compete for the job after averaging 33.5 yards in a limited role.

6. Oregon State
As long as Alexis Serna is kicking and Sammie Stroughter is fielding punts, Oregon State will challenge Cal and USC for the top special teams unit in the Pac-10 and one the best in the nation. Serna's a three-time semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award and the winner in 2005, he’s a rock with the leg strength to flirt in the 60-yard range if necessary.  Serna has connected on more than 80% of his career field goal attempts, made 106 straight extra points and tied a school record with a 58-yard boot in 2006.

7. Wake Forest
If the Wake special teams are as good as last year, they'll be the difference in at least two games. Sam Swank is a sure-thing All-American, while the return game should be more than fine. The emphasis on doing well in all areas will be a major key to the season. Swank might be the best kicker in America, assuming he's back healthy after suffering a sports hernia. He connected on 23 of 31 field goals last year nailing bomb after bomb going ten of 16 from beyond 40 yards and five of seven from beyond 50. Not just good, he's also tremendously clutch. He'll also handle the punting duties again after averaging a solid 41.2 yards per kick while putting 19 inside the 20 and forcing a whopping 23 fair catches

8. North Carolina
With arguably the best all-around special teams in America last season with great coverage units to go along with all the other positives. There's no reason to think things will slip much under the new regime. For good or bad, the player the new coaching staff appears to be the most impressed with early on is senior Connor Barth, who has shown consistency, reliability, and a great leg hitting all ten of his field goal attempts bouncing back from a rough 11 of 21 2005. He has 50+ range with cranking out a 54-yard bomb against NC State.

9. Ohio State
As always, the Ohio State special teams will be fantastic, and a key piece of the overall puzzle. Without the explosive offense of last year, there should be more of a return to Tressel ball. Semi-conservative offense, solid defense, and rock solid special teams. Almost no one will beat the Buckeyes in the third phase. The kicking game will be one of the best in the nation with the return of sophomore placekicker Aaron Pettrey and sophomore punter A.J. Trapasso. Trapasso had a great year averaging 40.6 yards per kick with 17 put inside the 20. Pettrey appears to be the next in the long line of star kickers after a good first season hitting eight of 11 attempts including two from beyond 50 yards. He was automatic after the first few games of the year.

10. Kentucky
If Lones Seiber can get his field goal percentage to around 75% and if Tim Masthay can average over 40 yards per kick, the UK special teams will be among the best in the country. It would help if returners Keenan Burton and Rafael Little could stay healthy. Little is one of the nation's elite punt returners averaging a whopping 22.6 yards per try. Not to be outdone is Burton, who averaged 24.7 yards per return. UK was first in the nation in punt returns and tenth in kickoff returns

11	San Jose State
12	Virginia Tech
13	Wisconsin
14	TCU
15	Penn State
16	Alabama
17	Texas
18	Georgia Tech
19	West Virginia
20	Colorado State
21	Nevada
22	Kansas
23	Mississippi
24	Iowa State
25	Toledo
26	Ohio
27	UNLV
28	New Mexico State
29	Kansas State
30	Colorado
31	Notre Dame
32	Pitt
33	Boston College
34	Arizona State
35	Indiana
36	Louisville
37	Minnesota
38	Miami Univ.
39	SMU
40	UCLA
41	Virginia
42	Rutgers
43	South Carolina
44	Missouri
45	Tennessee
46	Texas A&M
47	Michigan State
48	Troy
49	UCF
50	Louisiana Tech
51	Army
52	USC
53	LSU
54	Florida State
55	Texas Tech
56	Oregon
57	Michigan
58	New Mexico
59	Mississippi State
60	NC State
61	Western Michigan
62	Hawaii
63	Memphis
64	Utah State
65	Navy
66	Arizona
67	Miami
68	Clemson
69	Nebraska
70	Boise State
71	Illinois
72	BYU
73	Maryland
74	Connecticut
75	Syracuse
76	Wyoming
77	Iowa
78	Baylor
79	Purdue
80	Fresno State
81	Northern Illinois
82	Air Force
83	UAB
84	Idaho
85	San Diego State
86	Eastern Michigan
87	Ball State
88	North Texas
89	UL Lafayette
90	South Florida
91	Auburn
92	Florida
93	Vanderbilt
94	Central Michigan
95	Northwestern
96	Arkansas State
97	Tulsa
98	Houston
99	UL Monroe
100	Rice
101	Middle Tennessee
102	Arkansas
103	Stanford
104	Washington
105	Southern Miss
106	Bowling Green
107	Akron
108	Washington State
109	Duke
110	UTEP
111	Buffalo
112	Temple
113	Cincinnati
114	Tulane
115	Kent State
116	Florida Atlantic
117	Marshall
118	East Carolina
119	FIU