The Third Unit: Iowa's Top Punters of 2024

Today, we add our second edition of "The Third Unit" recognizing the top special teams' performers across the 2024 season. Today, we take a look at the top Punters from Iowa this season, as their booming legs and long hangtimes helped set up their defenses well, often having an understated role in their team's performance as a result. We take a look at 6 Punters in Iowa that stood out for their efforts in 2024!    Davenport West fell to a winless record in 2024 for the first time since 2020. One of their few bright spots in a porous season was their junior Punter Chase Jasper. Jasper averaged an impressive 44.5 yards per punt; the highest average by a Punter in the state that season. Jasper was really sharp on his boots, and I was impressed with the arc of his kicks and his ability to get the ball to bounce well beyond where it lands to make it difficult for the returners to get their hands on it. Jasper will be a force to be reckoned with on special teams in his senior season as the Falcons look to rebuild in 2025.     One of the best kicking specialists overall in Iowa, [player_tooltip player_id='1286602' first='Jacob' last='Borall'] handled both duties of placekicking and Punting extremely well in his senior season. Borall averaged 43 yards per punt on 37 punts over the course of the year. He also went 40/42 on extra points and 3/3 on field goals. Borall has impressive range, whether it's pinning his opponents deep in their territory, or connection on 40+ yard field goals, Borall has been a dynamic fixture of the Black Raiders' special teams' unit. Borall should be a sought after prospect that can handle either kicking duty in the collegiate level.     Nathan Schiesl was a perfect complementary piece for the Golden Eagles as they tore their way to an undefeated record and their first ever state championship in 2024. Schiesl averaged 42.4 yards per punt on 33 punts. He also went 63 of 66 on extra points, and 7 of 10 on field goals. Schiesl's ability to become sharper and more poised as the game goes along really impressed me. Schiesl did a spectacular job when it came to pinning his opponents deep inside the 20, and he was calm in pressured kicking situations. Schiesl has the potential to translate his skills into the next level, and he should be getting some offers very soon.     Iowa City West had a powerhouse offense in 2024, and when their drives stalled, they were confident turning toward [player_tooltip player_id='1361550' first='Evan' last='Anderson'] to pin their opponents deep. Anderson finished his senior season with an average 40.5 yards per punt on 22 punts. Anderson continued to showcase his impressive ability from his previous two seasons, with excellent hang-time ability and sky-high kicks that allows him to pin his opponents inside the 10. It will be interesting to see where Anderson ends up, but he should certainly become a force to watch out for in the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1571476' first='Logan' last='Barton'] made significant progress after a rough freshman campaign, and he is quickly developing into a dangerous kicking specialist for Cedar Rapids Washington. Barton finished last season with an average of 39.9 yards per punt on 37 punts. Barton also finished 6 of 10 on field goals and 18 of 23 on extra points. Barton does a great job at angling his kicks, nailing an impressive amount of depth and hang-time on his kicks that make it difficult for the returners to catch, and he's shown great improvement on his accuracy. Barton should quickly find himself on the watchlist in 2025 as a top overall kicking specialist in Iowa.     Wade Weuve made a strong effort on the special teams' unit for West Marshall in 2024, contributing to the team's resurgence following a dismal campaign in 2023. Weuve averaged 39.3 yards per punt on 30 punts. Weuve also went 32 of 35 on extra points and 5 of 9 on field goals. Weuve looked sharp punting the ball, aiming several short punts that took intricate bounces that countered the direction of where the returners aimed to receive the ball, setting up several deep pins for Weuve. Weuve has also been talented as a wrestler for West Marshall, posting a 29-13 career record, and he could very well pursue a wrestling career in the collegiate level going forward.

Today, we add our second edition of "The Third Unit" recognizing the top special teams' performers across the 2024 season. Today, we take a look at the top Punters from Iowa this season, as their booming legs and long hangtimes helped set up their defenses well, often having an understated role in their team's performance as a result. We take a look at 6 Punters in Iowa that stood out for their efforts in 2024!