Special teams will feel familiar for Cowboys in the spring
STILLWATER — Special teams play ran hot and cold for Oklahoma State in 2017.
Kicker Matt Ammendola had his early struggles before closing the season with resounding consistency. Punter Zach Sinor was mostly reliable, even though his numbers weren’t as flashy as the previous season.
Coverage units caused the most consternation for coach Mike Gundy, and he made a move to help improve the situation with the addition of the program’s first special teams analyst. He hired former Alabama deep snapper M.K. Taylor in January.
Oklahoma State kicks off spring football practice March 27. Until then, The Oklahoman will break down each position group, based on who will participate in spring workouts. In this edition, we’ll look at the special teamers. Key players lost: None
Key players returning: Matt Ammendola, Zach Sinor, Sam Walkingstick, Dillon Stoner, LD Brown, Tylan Wallace, Tyron Johnson Newcomers: None
THREE STORYLINES TO WATCH Familiar faces
Special teams play never gets a ton of attention in spring, and that’s especially true for a group that returns its full twodeep at kicker, punter, deep snapper and holder, as well as most of the primary return guys.
That means most of the special teams work in spring will be focused on improving skills, and giving other players a chance to show their abilities in particular roles.
Is there someone on the team who could be a more impactful punt or kickoff returner? Could another kicker take over kickoff duties and lighten the load on Matt Ammendola?
Spring is a time for some experimentation, and seeing which other players might be able to contribute.
Kickoff questions
If you had to pinpoint one special teams area that never seemed to jell last season, it would be the kickoff unit.
Ammendola had 35 touchbacks on 104 kickoffs, and particularly during the first half of the season, Gundy was less than pleased with the location of the kickoffs that came up short of the end zone.
Ammendola seemed to become more consistent later in the year, but the coverage team wasn’t always on the same page — a fact that was best illustrated in the Kansas State game. What seemed to be a perfectly located kick toward the boundary, giving the OSU tacklers the opportunity to corner the returner, instead became a game-changing kickoff return by Byron Pringle in the Wildcats’ 45-40 upset.
Spring isn’t the time to worry about polishing up the details of kick coverage, but Gundy could use some time to look at new ideas and schemes, especially with Taylor offering a new set of eyes on things.
Returners return
Just about everyone who got a chance to return a kickoff or punt last season is still around. Tyron Johnson and LD Brown were used most on kickoffs, and Dillon Stoner provided sure hands on punts.
Players such as Tylan Wallace, Landon Wolf, Chuba Hubbard and others could get more regular opportunities to show what they can do in return roles as well. Otherwise, it will be a mostly familiar spring for the special teamers.