Wisconsin Football: 2017 Special Teams Breakdown
The Wisconsin special team’s unit returns three out of four positions next season. Anthony Lotti returns at punter, P.J. Rosowski as the kickoff specialist, and the Badgers will get a lift from the return of place kicker Rafael Gaglianone. Andrew Endicott will also be returning for his senior season next year. The only player the Badgers will be losing is long snapper Connor Udelhoven. The special teams unit can potentially make all the difference in a game, and the
se players did a respectable job last season.
Anthony Lotti was the 12
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His average and net average per punt can be deceiving due to the fact that the Badgers were punting from roughly midfield many times this season. Lotti managed to down the opponent inside the twenty 26 times this season. That means 51 percent of his punts were downed inside the opponent’s’ 20-yard line. This allowed the Badgers to flip the field. He had an impressive 2 percent of punts that resulted as a touchback. Lotti had a solid season as a true freshman on a top ten Wisconsin team.
P.J. Rosowski
Rosowski returned for his sophomore season to build off of his past playing time in 2015. During his freshman season, Rosowski punted once and kicked off eight times. Lotti got the majority of the punting opportunities this season, but Rosowski managed 15 punts for an average of 36.7 yards per punt. He also had a long of 51 yards. Rosowski turned to focusing and perfecting the craft of kicking off. He showed promise his freshman season averaging 62.5 yards per kick, but turned it up a notch in 2016 by recording 51 touchbacks in 79 tries. He managed to negate the other teams kick returns 65 percent of the time, a good clip at the college ranks. Rosowski will look to improve his touchback rate of 65 percent next season and continue to help the Badgers win the field position game.
Andrew Endicott
Andrew Endicott took over for Rafael Gaglianone four weeks into the season against Michigan State after it was announced that Gaglianone would be undergoing back surgery. He hadn’t attempted a field goal since his senior year in high school, when he attempted two. Endicott struggled in the middle of the season, but came around at the end of the year when the Badgers needed him most. He finished the season making 13 field goals on 19 attempts. That equals a 68.4 make percentage. He also made 35 of 37 extra point attempts. Endicott will likely return to his backup duties next season, but will at least give coach Paul Chryst and the Badgers a reliable option if needed.
Rafael Gaglianone
Rafael Gaglianone is the Brazilian soccer player turned kicker that peaked everybody’s interest two seasons ago. It’s hard not to notice Gaglianone, as he is one of the bigger kickers in division one football. Gaglianone surged onto the stage his freshman season by converting on 19 of 22 field goal attempts. He also showed off his leg as he connected on multiple field goals of 50 yards or more. His sophomore season was nothing to write home about. Both he and the Badgers hoped he’d get back on track this past season.
It appeared Gaglianone did just that at the beginning of the 2016 season. In the first three games of the season, he connected on seven out of eight field goals as well as making every extra point he attempted. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a back injury. During the season Gaglianone had back surgery and should be set to return next season. His return in 2017 should give a boost to the Badger’s kicking game.
Connor Udelhoven
Long snapper Connor Udelhoven will be lost to graduation in 2016 . He will leave a hole for the Badgers to fill at one key position in the kicking game. Udelhoven played in 52 games at his time at Wisconsin, which is one less than co-captains Vince Biegel and Sojourn Shelton. He enrolled at Madison as a walk-on, but after his redshirt freshman season, Udelhoven earned a scholarship from then coach Gary Andersen. He has brought stability to the Badger’s special teams for the past three seasons. Wisconsin will look to replace Udelhoven with Adam Bay.
Bay is from Mesa, Arizona and will be a true freshman next season for the Badgers. According to Rivals.com, Bay is a five-star long snapper and the best rated long snapper in the class of 2017. Bay was selected to play in the Under Armour All American game following his senior season. He originally committed to Missouri until changing his mind and signing with the Badgers. Bay will have big shoes to fill to replace Udelhoven in 2017, as he will be the only true long snapper on the roster.
Next: Wisconsin Football: Plenty of Blocking Returning Next Season
The Badgers are returning every member of their special team’s unit as well as getting Gaglianone back. This unit should continue to help the Badgers win anyway they can. From downing opponents inside their twenty, touchbacks, to game-winning field goals, the special teams will look to build on their success last season. Special teams play a bigger role within a football game than the average fan thinks. If the Badgers are going to contend for a playoff spot next season, they will need every unit to contribute, even the special teams.