2020 UCLA Football Season Preview: Special teams will turn to fresh faces for starting punter, kicker spots

UCLA football finally has a schedule for its 2020 season, so Sports editor Jack Perez and senior staff writer Sam Connon will be taking a look at the Bruins’ outlook at each position. From award favorites to comeback stories, Daily Bruin Sports will analyze each position’s depth chart and make predictions for how their seasons could unfold. Finally – special teams.

Depth Chart

For the first time in a while, the Bruins have a new kicker.

Following the graduation of JJ Molson, redshirt freshman Nicholas Barr-Mira and freshman Luke Akers were both placed on the depth chart as the possible starting kickers, with coach Chip Kelly waiting until the first game to decide.

The two are also set to battle for the punter slot after the only punter on UCLA’s roster – redshirt sophomore Collin Flintoft – elected to have surgery when the season was originally postponed. Neither has any punts or kicks in a collegiate setting yet.

On the return teams, familiar faces will remain. Redshirt senior running back Demetric Felton is slated to return kickoffs again after handling the majority of the duties last year. He took one all the way for a touchdown during the 67-63 win over Washington State during the 2019 campaign.

For punt returns, the Bruins will line up redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kyle Philips. In his eight tries last season, Philips gained 180 punt return yards and one touchdown. That one touchdown also came in the shootout against the Cougars.

Scheme Breakdown

Coach Derek Sage usually handles the tight ends but started serving double duty when he took over the special teams last year.

The team handled the transition well, giving up just 138 yards on 13 punt returns and 171 yards on eight kick returns.

However, the new kicker – whoever he may be – has yet to show his leg in game action. If neither has the power to boot the ball out of the back of the end zone, the kicking team may see a lot more action this season.

Predictions

Last year, I predicted Molson would hit at least one 50-yard field goal and the Bruins would win a game thanks to a kick return touchdown. One out of two isn’t terrible.

Molson ended his 2019 season with a long of 49 yards. Because neither Akers nor Barr-Mira has kicked at this level, anything over 40 yards hit consistently should be good enough for UCLA.

The return guys will be the focal point. With Philips and Felton both scoring once last year, look for them both to score again, though probably not in the same game this time around.

And look for one of their touchdowns to be the deciding factor in a game again.