2023 Spotlight: Punters Worth Keeping an Eye On

Chris Norcross

June 8, 2022 @ 12:00 PM

While some fans do not consider punters and kickers to be true football players, we here at PrepRedzone tend to recognize the fact that their positions are some of the hardest positions to play in all of football. Not only do they have to specialize in field position, but they have to play defense as soon as they boot the ball away. Their performance in key moments in also a big factor in overall team success, as special teams play is another important aspect to the game of football. Because of this, we took some time to research some of the top punters in the state, who are worth tracking going into next season. Jordan Neang- Riverdale Last season, Neang managed to total some of the most impressive statistics for a punter in Georgia’s 2023 class. Not only did he average the most yards per punt with 48 yards, but he also managed to total around 1,050 punt yards by the end of the season. These yards came on only 22 punts, and 8 of these punts landed with the 20 yard line. To add to this Neang also had a very impressive season due to the fact that his longest punt went for about 71 yards, which is one way to play solid defense for his team. Next season, look for him to add to his gaudy stats, and to continue to be a difference maker for his team. Joshua Taylor- Trinity Christian While Taylor plays for a smaller, private school program, his impact on the team as a punter should not be overlooked. Last season, he managed to average around 42 yards a punt, with about 20 punts in an 8 game span. In addition to this, he also had a season long of 58 yards on one punt, only further contributing to his season total of 848 punt yards, thus putting his team in position to play solid defense. Ethan Washington- North Gwinnett One of the most impressive parts of Washington’s ability to play high level football when returning the ball is the fact that he does so, while also performing effectively as a skilled player on offense and defense as well. He not only averaged around 41 yards a punt last season, but he also totaled about 2,100 punt yards on 52 attempts by the end of the season. In addition to this, he also had a season long punt of 60 yards, which only proved his ability to contribute to his team in multiple ways. Jacob Ulrich- Mill Creek One of the most impressive punters out of Georgia’s 2023 class with that of Jacob Ulrich, and this is due to the fact that he appeared to be well rounded in every way possible when it came to his role on the team. Out of the 40 punts that he booted, around 14 of them were within the 20 yard line, and 1 of them even traveled 56 yards. In addition to this, he also averaged around 40.3 yards a punt, which put him at about 1,600 punt yards by the end of the season, seemingly making up for a lack of production on his team’s offense. As his solid punting not only helps the defense, but provides relief for the offense, we expect him to have another stellar season next year, further cementing his greatness at this age. Ryan Chestnutt- Marietta While Chestnutt did not have the most amount of punt yards last season, his performance was very worthwhile to watch. Out of the 8 games that he played, he managed to land 7 punts within the 20 yard parameters, and he also had a long of 65 yards on a single punt. In addition to pinning opposing offenses with ease, Chestnutt also averaged around 40 yards a punt, and saw himself with a season total of around 800 punting yards, making him one of the more efficient players in the state, which only made the powerhouse school, Marietta, even better.