Colorado University Athletics
Anchored by Greaves, Fueled by Competition: Inside Colorado’s Specialist Room
February 18, 2026 | Football
BOULDER — For the first time in his Colorado tenure, head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders enters a season without Alejandro "Automata" Mata handling placekicking duties. Replacing one of the most productive kickers in program history becomes one of the top storylines in the specialist room.
Mata finished his career with 204 points, ranking ninth all-time and fourth among kickers in school history. He connected on 31-of-38 field goals (81.5 percent), setting the Colorado career record for field goal percentage among kickers with at least 20 attempts. His 31 made field goals rank sixth in program history, while his 110-of-112 extra points (98.2 percent) rank second all-time among players with at least 100 attempts.
With Mata's graduation, Colorado turns to a mix of transfers and returning contributors to maintain the unit's production.
Group: Specialists
Returners: Damon Greaves, Elliot Arnold, Daniel Gerlach, Luke Whiting
Newcomers: Josh McCormick, Trey Young
Position Group Preview
The specialist unit enters spring anchored by stability at punter and transition at placekicker.
Damon "Mate II" Greaves returns after earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors in 2025. He handled all 67 punts and 43 holds last season, averaging 42.4 yards per attempt with 15 inside the 20 and 13 punts of 50 yards or more. His 67-yard punt against Delaware ranks as the fourth longest in the Big 12 last season and the third longest in Colorado history. With experience in the conference and professional level composure from his Australian Football League background, Greaves provides consistency to the unit.
The primary competition comes at placekicker.
Graduate transfer Josh McCormick arrives after producing at both William and Mary and Grambling State. In 2025 at Grambling, he connected on 6-of-10 field goals with a long of 52 yards and handled 45 kickoffs for 2,862 yards, recording 30 touchbacks. Knocking in a 46-yard game winner as time wind down versus Jackson State. At William and Mary, he set a single season school record with 34 touchbacks in 2024 while averaging 61.7 yards per kickoff. His leg strength and touchback production position him as the leading candidate to step into Mata's role.
Redshirt freshman Elliot Arnold adds depth to the competition after a productive high school career that included 15-of-17 field goals as a senior and an 85.7 percent touchback rate.
At long snapper, Colorado adds competition and depth. Luke Whiting and Trey Young enter the mix alongside returning options, creating flexibility across field goal and punt units. Young arrives from Saddleback College, while Whiting brings experience from multiple programs.
The specialist room blends proven performance with open competition. Replacing Mata's consistency headlines the group, but with a conference recognized punter returning and a transfer kicker with significant kickoff production, Colorado enters spring positioned to maintain stability in all three phases of the kicking game.
Here's a closer look at the specialist room:
Elliot Arnold
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Chattanooga, Tenn.
High School: McCallie
Arnold redshirted during the 2025 season but enters spring as a developmental option in the placekicking competition. In high school, he scored 86 points as a senior, converting 15-of-17 field goals and 41-of-43 extra points while posting an 85.7 percent touchback rate on kickoffs. His career long field goal was 52 yards.
Daniel Gerlach
Year: Junior
Hometown: Boulder, Colo.
High School: Boulder
Previous School: Colby College
Gerlach contributed as Colorado's primary kickoff specialist late in the 2024 season, averaging 58.9 yards on 30 kickoffs with six touchbacks. He previously punted at Colby College, averaging 33 yards per attempt with five inside the 20. His versatility gives the unit additional depth.
Damon "Mate II" Greaves
Year: Senior
Hometown: Busselton, Australia
High School: Prokick
Previous School: Kansas
Greaves returns as one of the Big 12's most consistent punters. He played in all 12 games in 2025, handling all 67 punts and 43 holds on field goals and extra points. He averaged 42.4 yards per punt with 15 placed inside the 20 and 13-of-50 yards or more.
He tied for fourth in the Big 12 in punts of 50-plus yards and delivered a 67-yard punt against Delaware, the fourth-longest in the conference and the third-longest in Colorado history. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.
Before arriving at Colorado, Greaves played two seasons at Kansas, appearing in 21 games and averaging 40.66 yards per punt.
A former Australian Football League rookie draft selection, Greaves brings professional-level experience and composure to the unit.
Josh McCormick
Year: Graduate
High School: Akins
Previous Schools: William & Mary / Grambling State
Hometown: Newport News, Va.
McCormik arrives with extensive kickoff experience and multi-level production. During the 2025 season at Grambling State, he went 6-of-10 on field goals with a long of 52 yards and handled 45 kickoffs totaling 2,862 yards. He recorded 30 touchbacks and consistently generated field position advantages.
Prior to Grambling, McCormick set a single-season school record at William & Mary with 34 touchbacks in 2024, averaging 61.7 yards per kickoff. He earned NFF Hampshire Honor Society recognition and CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll honors.
His leg strength and touchback production position him as a candidate to replace Mata.
Luke Whiting
Year: Junior
Hometown: Holiday, Utah
High School: Olympus
Previous Schools: Idaho State / Florida Atlantic / Georgia Tech
Whiting brings length and experience to the long snapper position after stops at multiple programs. He appeared in four games at Idaho State before redshirting and enters Colorado with three years of eligibility remaining. Ranked the No. 30 long snapper in the class of 2023 by Rubio Long Snapping.
Trey Young
Year: Freshman
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
High School: San Juan Hills
Previous School: Saddleback College
Young joins the Buffaloes as a transfer from Saddleback College. A product of San Juan Hills High School, he provides depth and competition at long snapper as Colorado reshapes its specialist core.
With a proven All-Big 12 punter in Greaves, a transfer kicker in McCormick with significant touchback production and multiple long snapper options competing for roles, the specialist room blends continuity and transition.
Replacing Mata's consistency will be the headline, but Colorado's depth and experience suggest the unit remains positioned to build on last season's success.
Up Next: The inside look of the tight end room.
The tight end room stands out immediately for its size. Colorado's group averages just over 6 foot 5, creating a physically imposing presence in the middle of the formation. It is a room built on strength, frame and physical development, giving the offense a powerful body type at the position.
Over the winter, one of the program's original Buffaloes, one of just two remaining from the initial transition, Brady Kopetz was awarded a scholarship. The moment reflected the culture inside the room as much as it did production. Coach Prime made it clear what Kopetz represents to the team.
"I got love for you and I am going to look out for you," Sanders told Kopetz. "Because you do well. You work your butt off, you bring people together. I have never seen a day that you have not given it your all. Just your energy from the time we stretch to the time we finish."
With size in place and leadership embedded within the room, the tight ends enter spring positioned to be a steady and physical component of the offense.
Mata finished his career with 204 points, ranking ninth all-time and fourth among kickers in school history. He connected on 31-of-38 field goals (81.5 percent), setting the Colorado career record for field goal percentage among kickers with at least 20 attempts. His 31 made field goals rank sixth in program history, while his 110-of-112 extra points (98.2 percent) rank second all-time among players with at least 100 attempts.
With Mata's graduation, Colorado turns to a mix of transfers and returning contributors to maintain the unit's production.
Group: Specialists
Returners: Damon Greaves, Elliot Arnold, Daniel Gerlach, Luke Whiting
Newcomers: Josh McCormick, Trey Young
Position Group Preview
The specialist unit enters spring anchored by stability at punter and transition at placekicker.
Damon "Mate II" Greaves returns after earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors in 2025. He handled all 67 punts and 43 holds last season, averaging 42.4 yards per attempt with 15 inside the 20 and 13 punts of 50 yards or more. His 67-yard punt against Delaware ranks as the fourth longest in the Big 12 last season and the third longest in Colorado history. With experience in the conference and professional level composure from his Australian Football League background, Greaves provides consistency to the unit.
The primary competition comes at placekicker.
Graduate transfer Josh McCormick arrives after producing at both William and Mary and Grambling State. In 2025 at Grambling, he connected on 6-of-10 field goals with a long of 52 yards and handled 45 kickoffs for 2,862 yards, recording 30 touchbacks. Knocking in a 46-yard game winner as time wind down versus Jackson State. At William and Mary, he set a single season school record with 34 touchbacks in 2024 while averaging 61.7 yards per kickoff. His leg strength and touchback production position him as the leading candidate to step into Mata's role.
Redshirt freshman Elliot Arnold adds depth to the competition after a productive high school career that included 15-of-17 field goals as a senior and an 85.7 percent touchback rate.
At long snapper, Colorado adds competition and depth. Luke Whiting and Trey Young enter the mix alongside returning options, creating flexibility across field goal and punt units. Young arrives from Saddleback College, while Whiting brings experience from multiple programs.
The specialist room blends proven performance with open competition. Replacing Mata's consistency headlines the group, but with a conference recognized punter returning and a transfer kicker with significant kickoff production, Colorado enters spring positioned to maintain stability in all three phases of the kicking game.
Here's a closer look at the specialist room:
Elliot Arnold
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Chattanooga, Tenn.
High School: McCallie
Arnold redshirted during the 2025 season but enters spring as a developmental option in the placekicking competition. In high school, he scored 86 points as a senior, converting 15-of-17 field goals and 41-of-43 extra points while posting an 85.7 percent touchback rate on kickoffs. His career long field goal was 52 yards.
Daniel Gerlach
Year: Junior
Hometown: Boulder, Colo.
High School: Boulder
Previous School: Colby College
Gerlach contributed as Colorado's primary kickoff specialist late in the 2024 season, averaging 58.9 yards on 30 kickoffs with six touchbacks. He previously punted at Colby College, averaging 33 yards per attempt with five inside the 20. His versatility gives the unit additional depth.
Damon "Mate II" Greaves
Year: Senior
Hometown: Busselton, Australia
High School: Prokick
Previous School: Kansas
Greaves returns as one of the Big 12's most consistent punters. He played in all 12 games in 2025, handling all 67 punts and 43 holds on field goals and extra points. He averaged 42.4 yards per punt with 15 placed inside the 20 and 13-of-50 yards or more.
He tied for fourth in the Big 12 in punts of 50-plus yards and delivered a 67-yard punt against Delaware, the fourth-longest in the conference and the third-longest in Colorado history. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.
Before arriving at Colorado, Greaves played two seasons at Kansas, appearing in 21 games and averaging 40.66 yards per punt.
A former Australian Football League rookie draft selection, Greaves brings professional-level experience and composure to the unit.
Josh McCormick
Year: Graduate
High School: Akins
Previous Schools: William & Mary / Grambling State
Hometown: Newport News, Va.
McCormik arrives with extensive kickoff experience and multi-level production. During the 2025 season at Grambling State, he went 6-of-10 on field goals with a long of 52 yards and handled 45 kickoffs totaling 2,862 yards. He recorded 30 touchbacks and consistently generated field position advantages.
Prior to Grambling, McCormick set a single-season school record at William & Mary with 34 touchbacks in 2024, averaging 61.7 yards per kickoff. He earned NFF Hampshire Honor Society recognition and CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll honors.
His leg strength and touchback production position him as a candidate to replace Mata.
Luke Whiting
Year: Junior
Hometown: Holiday, Utah
High School: Olympus
Previous Schools: Idaho State / Florida Atlantic / Georgia Tech
Whiting brings length and experience to the long snapper position after stops at multiple programs. He appeared in four games at Idaho State before redshirting and enters Colorado with three years of eligibility remaining. Ranked the No. 30 long snapper in the class of 2023 by Rubio Long Snapping.
Trey Young
Year: Freshman
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
High School: San Juan Hills
Previous School: Saddleback College
Young joins the Buffaloes as a transfer from Saddleback College. A product of San Juan Hills High School, he provides depth and competition at long snapper as Colorado reshapes its specialist core.
With a proven All-Big 12 punter in Greaves, a transfer kicker in McCormick with significant touchback production and multiple long snapper options competing for roles, the specialist room blends continuity and transition.
Replacing Mata's consistency will be the headline, but Colorado's depth and experience suggest the unit remains positioned to build on last season's success.
Up Next: The inside look of the tight end room.
The tight end room stands out immediately for its size. Colorado's group averages just over 6 foot 5, creating a physically imposing presence in the middle of the formation. It is a room built on strength, frame and physical development, giving the offense a powerful body type at the position.
Over the winter, one of the program's original Buffaloes, one of just two remaining from the initial transition, Brady Kopetz was awarded a scholarship. The moment reflected the culture inside the room as much as it did production. Coach Prime made it clear what Kopetz represents to the team.
"I got love for you and I am going to look out for you," Sanders told Kopetz. "Because you do well. You work your butt off, you bring people together. I have never seen a day that you have not given it your all. Just your energy from the time we stretch to the time we finish."
With size in place and leadership embedded within the room, the tight ends enter spring positioned to be a steady and physical component of the offense.
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