Cal Football Countdown: 29 Days, Fall Camp Special Teams Preview
Previous Fall Camp Previews: QBs | Skill Positions | OL | DL | LBs | DBs
All the positions on offense and defense have been covered going fall camp, which starts today. That leaves the special teams group, which doesn't have a whole lot of questions at the key positions, with two seniors at the kicker and punter spots, both return men returning from a year ago, and a long snapper who impressed the Cal staff to the point where they offered him a scholarship, despite having a scholarship snapper on the roster.
Punter: Steven Coutts
The senior Aussie punter returns as a preseason second team all Pac-12 player. He put 37 punts inside the 20 a year ago (the most in the country). He's on the Ray Guy watchlist, and has been called a 'weapon' by both Justin Wilcox and Charlie Ragle.
Confidence in Coutts shaped some of the more conservative decision-making in certain situations for the Cal staff a year ago, when combined with a stagnant offense. He's capable of hitting punts with 4-5 seconds of hangtime and directional punts that land inside the 20. The hope is that with a more productive offense in 2019, Coutts may not see the field 72 times, like he did in 2018. He's still a type of player to have in the back pocket nonetheless.
Kicker: Greg Thomas
Thomas, from nearby Petaluma, won the kicker job last fall and has held onto it ever since, even earning a scholarship this year. The lefty went 12-17 on field goals in 2018, and 32-32 on extra points. Thomas had been consistent during the spring, and will keep his starting job because of that.
Kickoffs: Gabe Siemieniec
The Canadian lefty dropped about 40 pounds during the spring, and is listed at 215. His increased flexibility has been noted, as he'll likely take over the kickoff specialist role from Chris Landgrebe, who is no longer on the roster.
Long Snapper: Slater Zellers
Zellers was offered a scholarship at Cal's specialist camp in 2017, committed two months later, and spent last year behind Alonso Vera redshirting. Zellers is crisp as a long snapper, and he was the top snapper in his class. Nothing has changed in that regard, as he's added a bit of strength over a year and a half of conditioning. He'll likely be a four year starter for the Bears at the spot.
Kick Return: Ashtyn Davis
The Hornung watchlist candidate returns (pun intentded) for year three of kick return duties. Davis busted one against Idaho State a year ago, and gave the Bears great field position in other games, notably after the safety against USC. Davis, the former four-time all-American on the track, has focused on football this offseason, as he ran out of track eligibility in the spring of 2018. Jaylinn and Jeremiah Hawkins should back up Davis at the spot.
Punt Return: Nikko Remigio
Remigio, who has been singled out as someone who made big gains in the offseason, will likely return to the spot in 2019, as he's got the short area quickness to be an effective returner. Jeremiah Hawkins will likely back him up, though both have to work on securing punts, something Remigio had a bit of trouble with in 2018.
Guys to Watch On Special Teams Units:
Alex Netherda - A special teams Swiss Army Knife, who should be on every ST unit that he can be on
Chris Brown - Cal's running back starter proved himself as a kick return blocker, he'll likely do that again
Collin Moore and Jake Tonges - Having more TEs means having more ST bodies, and both Moore and Tonges fit the bill there
Steve McIntosh - The walk-on safety should get on a couple of units, and living with Cam Bynum and Elijah Hicks, he's put in a ton of work this offseason
At least one of Cal's true freshmen linebackers - This feels like a spot where someone like Curley Young could see time early, with his speed, potentially as a coverage guy on kickoffs.