Over the course of this final month leading up to the start of the 2022 South Alabama football season, we will preview all the position groups on the Jaguar roster.
The nine-part series examines each position group ahead of the season opener versus Nicholls State on Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium. This installment looks at South Alabama's specialists.
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RETURNING STARTERS (3)
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Diego Guajardo (Jr., 6-0, 192) – Placekicker – Handled all placekicking duties for the Jaguars throughout the season and led the Jaguars in scoring with 69 points, making 12-of-17 field goals and 33-of-35 extra-point attempts -
Jack Brooks (Jr., 6-0, 205) – Punter – Earned honorable mention all-Sun Belt Conference recognition after averaging a career-high 43.2 yards per punt, the third-highest mark on South's season record list
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Travis Drosos (So., 6-0, 220) – Long Snapper – Was the Jaguars' long snapper on all punts, field-goal and extra-point attempts in each of the team's 12 contests, and recorded four tackles covering punts, with two of those solo
OTHER RETURNING PLAYERS (1)
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Jack Martin (Jr., 5-11, 179) – Punter – Member of Jaguar program in 2021, but did not see any action
NEWCOMERS (3)
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Jacob Meeks (Jr., 6-2, 192) – Placekicker – Transfer from ULM who saw time both as place kicker and kickoff specialists during his time with the Warhawks
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Gage Theus (So., 5-11, 165) – Placekicker – Transfer from Fort Scott Community College who scored 39 points for the Greyhounds as he was 9-of-18 in his field goal attempts and connected on 12 of his 14 PAT attempts
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Anthony Zaccaro (So., 6-2, 240) – Long Snapper – Transfer from Old Dominion
2021 LETTERWINNERS/ROSTER MEMBERS LOST (3)
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Frankie Onate – Placekicker/Punter
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Barret Pickering (Jr., 6-0, 198) – Placekicker
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Noah Karwacki - Placekicker
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
- Brooks had 13 kicks end inside the opposition's 20-yard line and 14 efforts of 50 or more yards, finished fourth in the league and was 39th in the nation in average yards per punt
- Brooks also set a school game record with an average of 63 yards per kick in the season finale against Coastal Carolina
- Guajardo recorded 23 touchbacks on 59 kickoffs and finished the year fifth in the Sun Belt Conference and among the top 75 in the country in field goals per game, also standing sixth in the league in field-goal percentage and tying for eighth in points per outing (5.75)
- Meeks had 69 kickoffs for 4,302 yards averaging 62.3 yards per kick, and also carded 38 touchbacks at ULM
- Drosos was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award presented by Zebra Technologies Watch List during the preseason
- Pickering led Nebraska in scoring as a true freshman with 82 points, converting 14-of-18 field-goal attempts as well as 40-of-41 points-after-touchdown
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