Black Shoe Diaries · Jul 16, 2025
Three Reasons for Optimism: Special Teams
Penn State will return its kicker, punter and kickoff specialist in 2025. Ryan Barker was perfect on field goals within 40 yards after taking over the starting gig early in the season, and finished 15-of-18 on the year. Riley Thompson has averaged 45.6 and 42.8 yards per punt in his two seasons with the Nittany Lions, and showed excellent control last year with a third of his attempts landing inside the 20. Gabriel Nwosu, the massive kickoff specialist that can be mistaken for a defensive tackle, has proven he can regularly kick the ball out of the end zone to eliminate any chance of a return.
Explosive Returners