The ACC and FSU’s Returning Leader for Every Major Special Teams Category

The ACC and Florida State alike suffered a great deal of attrition on both sides of the ball from 2017. While big things are expected of the Seminoles, FSU is replacing a pair of Consensus All-Americans in running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end DeMarcus Walker.

In the most overlooked aspect of the game — special teams — FSU returns its kicker, punter and long snapper, but will have to find players to return kicks. Only two specialists in the ACC were selected in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Like defense, the ACC has a number of prominent returning players on special teams. In this piece, we’ll look at the leading returning player in the ACC for each major special teams statistical category and FSU’s leader in each.

The FSU ranking in parentheses will be the player’s rank among returning players and not in the ACC last season.

Kicking

Field Goals Made: Mike Weaver, K — Wake Forest and Michael Badgley, K — Miami (21)
Both Wake Forest kicker Mike Weaver and Miami kicker Michael Badgley made 21 kicks a season ago. Badgley did so on one fewer attempt.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: Ricky Aguayo, K (4th)
Ricky Aguayo was fourth in the ACC in makes last season with 19 behind Weaver, Badgley and Virginia Tech’s Joey Slye. All four players return.

Field Goal Attempts: Mike Weaver, K — Wake Forest and Joey Slye, K — Virginia Tech (27)
Weaver and Slye each attempted 27 kicks last season. Weaver fared a bit better, making 21 of his attempts to Slye’s 20.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: Ricky Aguayo, K (3rd)
Only Weaver and Slye attempted more field goals than FSU’s Ricky Aguayo last season. Aguayo attempted 26 field goals which was tied with Miami’s Michael Badgley.

Field Goal Percentage: Mike Knoll, K/P — Boston College (85.7)
Boston College’s Mike Knoll was 15-for-17 on field goal attempts last season. Only Georgia Tech’s Harrison Butker made a higher percentage and he’s off to the NFL.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: Ricky Aguayo, K (7th)
At 19-for-26, Aguayo made better than 73 percent of his kicks as a freshman. While that number may have only ranked eighth in the ACC, it was better than what future All-American Dustin Hopkins made as a freshman during his time at FSU.

Yards Per Punt: Mason King, P — Louisville (43.9)
Averaging nearly 44 yards per punt last season, Louisville’s Mason King is the ACC’s top returning punter. Only Virginia’s Nicholas Conte had a higher average.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: Logan Tyler, P (8th)
As a freshman, Logan Tyler was somewhat inconsistent. He averaged 40.3 yards per boot, which ranked 11th in the ACC.

Punts: Mike Knoll, K/P — Boston College (94)
Boston College’s Mike Knoll had the second most punts in the country last season and 17 more than the next closest ACC punter.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: Logan Tyler, P (7th)
Logan Tyler was the only FSU player to punt last season and did so only 54 times. That averages to a little more than four per game.

Returning

Kick Return Average: Quadree Henderson, WR — Pittsburgh (29.5)
Pittsburgh’s Quadree Henderson ranked second in the ACC in kickoff return average last season. Only North Carolina’s T.J. Logan had a better average.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: N/A
Kermit Whitfield ranked eighth in the ACC last season in kickoff return average, but he is gone and no other FSU player had enough returns to qualify. Keith Gavin had just one return that went for 66 yards.

Kick Return Touchdowns: Quadree Henderson, WR — Pittsburgh (3)
Quadree Henderson’s three kickoff returns for touchdowns last season led not only the ACC, but the country as well. T.J. Logan was the only other player in the conference with more than one.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: N/A
FSU didn’t return a kickoff for a touchdown last season. Kermit Whitfield was the last to take one to the house for the Seminoles when he did so during the 2014 BCS National Championship.

Punt Return Average: Braxton Berrios, WR — Miami (11.3)
Braxton Berrios of Miami was ranked third in the ACC last season, averaging 11.3 yards per return. Berrios had a big return against FSU last season that set up the game’s final touchdown.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: N/A
Jesus Wilson returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown last season, but FSU had no other players who returned enough punts to qualify. Wilson has since graduated.

Punt Return Touchdowns: Dexter Wright, S — N.C. State, Braxton Berrios, WR — Miami, Greg Stroman, CB — Virginia Tech, Jaire Alexander, CB — Louisville and Quadree Henderson, WR — Pittsburgh (1)
Five of the six players to return a punt for a score in the ACC last season return.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: N/A
Jesus Wilson took one back last season, but he was the only FSU player to do so.

Scoring

Points: Lamar Jackson, QB — Louisville (126)
Lamar Jackson proved in 2016 that scoring more than 100 points wasn’t just for kickers as he accounted for 21 rushing touchdowns. Four of the eight ACC players to score 100 points last season however, were kickers.
FSU Leader and ACC Rank: Ricky Aguayo, K (5th)
FSU was one of only two ACC teams last season to have two players score 100 points. Aguayo finished with 108 points. FSU running back Dalvin Cook scored 120 or 20 touchdowns, but is off to the NFL.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson