Penn State Football: Nittany Lions two-deep depth chart projection

Specialists

Placekickers: Carson Landis, Jake Pinegar

Punter: Blake Gillikin

With kicker Tyler Davis gone due to graduation and kicker Alex Barbir electing to transfer out of the program, there is a big hole to fill at the kicking position. Davis pulled a double role of placekicker and kickoff specialist so the Lions have to look elsewhere for both.

Carson Landis is a former walk on who was the only true kicker listed on the roster over the summer. Now with the arrival of freshman Jake Pinegar, both are fighting for a role on this year’s team. Pinegar probably has the most upside and he was seen kicking a 75-yard field goal in high school practice last year. Don’t be surprised if it is a kicker by committee approach for the Lions as they begin the season.

Punting duties are solidified with Blake Gillikin. When James Franklin first came to Penn State, special teams was a mess but Gillikin has stabilized the position the last two seasons. He has become a reliable option for playing the field position battle. He was third in the Big Ten in punting average at 43.2 yards per punt, garnering him second-team All-Big Ten honors. He will look to earn more honors this fall while limiting opponents in punt returns.