Buffs Position Preview: Special Teams Have Experience, Depth

BOULDER — While inexperience has been a concern and developing depth has been a priority for the Colorado Buffaloes at a number of position groups this fall, there is one place where neither is an issue: special teams.

There, at least, the Buffs have plenty of experience and solid depth.

It starts with senior punter Alex Kinney, senior long snapper J.T. Bale and junior kicker James Stefanou. All are proven veterans, all have been performing well in camp and all give the Buffs reason to have confidence in their special teams for 2019.

Kinney played in just four games last year after suffering a broken collarbone in the second game of the year making a tackle against Nebraska. He then missed eight games but returned for the last two and finished with 16 punts, averaging nearly 42 yards per attempt while dropping seven inside the 20-yard line. Opponents returned his punts for a total of just 15 yards, leaving him with a stellar net average of 41.6.

Kinney — a starter for the Buffs since his true freshman season — has been named to the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award (given to the nation's top punter) and was a second-team preseason All-Pac-12 pick by Phil Steele.

And, if Kinney kicks in at least 10 games this year, he will become CU's all-time leader in games played. He has already appeared in 43 games for Colorado, and trails all-time leader Quinn Sypniewski (a tight end from 2000-05) by just nine games.

The 32-year-old Stefanou is a powerful-legged kicker who has hit all 66 of his PAT attempts at CU, a record for extra points to begin a CU career. He is 22-for-30 all-time on field goal attempts, and is once again healthy after being hampered by a groin injury for much of last season. He had an outstanding freshman year for the Buffs, earning first-team Freshman All-American honors while hitting 17 of 22 field goal tries, including a 53-yarder.

Bale, meanwhile, has been an ultra-steady performer at his job and is on the preseason watch list this year for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the nation's top long snapper.

A former walkon, Bale was awarded a scholarship last August and was a third-team All-Pac-12 pick at the end of the year. He has handled snapping duties for punts and field goals/PATs for the last three seasons and has proven to be one of the most reliable snappers in the country in his tenure.

As for depth at the kicking spots, the Buffs have experience as well in senior Davis Price, who can kick off, kick field goals and punt. Price still holds the CU record for longest field goal by a freshman (54 yards in 2016 — his first field goal as a Buff) and he took over punting duties last year when Kinney was injured and proved to be a more than able replacement.

But along with veterans at the key positions, the Buffs also have plenty of key returnees on their coverage teams, both of which were among the nation's top 25 last year under the direction of special teams coach Ross Els. The Buffs were 21st in the nation last year in kickoff return defense and 20th in punt return defense.

In the return game, the Buffs also have some experience at kick returner, where junior K.D. Nixon is listed atop the depth chart. Nixon last year returned six kicks, averaging 20.5 per attempt. Also returning kicks this year will be redshirt freshman running back Jarek Broussard, who has excellent speed and explosiveness, along with sophomore wide receiver Maurice Bell, another player with explosive potential.

The Buffs will have a new punt returner this year in redshirt freshman receiver Dimitri Stanley, who had an excellent camp both fielding punts and showing a knack for finding a crease in coverage. Nixon is listed as his backup.

And, on coverage and return teams, the Buffs have a solid corps of returnees, including senior tight end Beau Bisharat, who led CU in special teams points last year with eight unassisted tackles; and sophomore receiver Daniel Arias, who was right behind Bisharat in total special teams points.

WHAT'S IN STORE: After some struggles several years ago, the Buffs have made special teams a strength under the guidance of Els. CU's coverage teams were among the Pac-12's best last year. Kinney, meanwhile, is as good as anyone at dropping kicks inside the 20 and he has improved his distance and hang time as well this year. Stefanou, meanwhile, is a weapon from long distance and his accuracy has improved steadily over the spring and summer.

STAT TO REMEMBER: After struggling in the area in past years, the Buffs allowed just one blocked kick last season and recorded two of their own.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu