FSU football: 3 special teams questions heading into spring camp
By Kelvin Hunt
Kickoff/Punt Return
The kickoff and punt return units haven’t been great in quite some time for the Noles. FSU kickoff return teams only returned 19 kickoffs last season, tied for No. 105 in the nation.
They did manage 25.42 yards per return, which was good for No. 12 in the nation. As you can see, they didn’t take many opportunities to do any damage in this area when given the chance.
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The punt return game was abysmal, averaging just 6.6 yards per return while letting way too many punts hit the ground, costing the offense tons of hidden yardage.
D.J. Matthews was the lone punt returner for the Noles, returning 19 of 20 punt returns last season. Isaiah Bolden and Keyshawn Helton were the primary kickoff returners.
All three of these players return in 2020, with Helton still recovering from the injury that caused him to miss half of last season.
One player who could factor into this facet of special teams is true freshman Ja’Khi Douglas who early enrolled this spring.
Douglas has excellent speed and the ability to take punts to the house. All of these players will be starting with a clean slate. Can Douglas carve out a role between kickoff and punt returns?