Mike Ekeler has found his man. After arriving on campus for an official visit, Archie Wilson was immediately added to the Huskers’ roster. Now that he has arrived in Lincoln, his presence kickstarts the rugby punting movement at Nebraska. Let’s recap what Nebraska’s specialists brought to the table in 2024.
The Huskers Special Teams
Kamdyn Koch
It’s unclear what role Koch will have in Ekeler’s unit. He hasn’t said anything about his progress during the spring. This is likely due to Wilson’s involvement in the Huskers’ special teams. According to Rivals, Matt Rhule said that a rugby-style punter will help the program “Take advantage of our unique gameday atmosphere here in the weather.” Now that Wilson fits this bill, Koch isn’t in consideration to become Nebraska’s starting punter. But we shouldn’t leave Koch out of the equation entirely. As a senior for Winter Hills School in Maryland, he averaged 38.5 yards per punt and had 23 touchbacks. He’s also the son of former Cornhusker Sam Koch. As a senior, he set a school record with a 46.5-yard average. This allowed him to average 44.0 yards per punt throughout his career. He is also a Super Bowl Champion with the Baltimore Ravens. He has enough experience to be on Rhule’s staff. But he’ll most likely help his son out from behind the scenes. He’ll have to learn how to punt rugby style before the season opener.
It’s official. #GBR #24ours
pic.twitter.com/XjadpqNglY
— Kamdyn Koch (@KamdynKoch4) December 20, 2023
John Hohl
As a redshirt freshman, Hohl had some growing pains as a part of the Huskers’ special teams. In conference play against #24 Illinois, Hohl kicked all four of his extra points through the uprights. However, the Lincoln native missed from distance. This kept the Huskers from holding an advantage over the Fighting Illini. This trend would continue in the next three contests. But it wouldn’t last the whole season. Against Ohio State, Hohl made three kicks from distance. In addition, the 180-pounder also drilled a 54-yard field goal. This made Hohl reliable throughout the last five games of the season. However, there are still some concerns. He didn’t suit up in the Bad Boy Mowers Bowl against Boston College. And he didn’t kick at the Husker Games. This gives ammunition for former Charlotte 49er Kyle Cunanan to earn his spot on the Huskers’ special teams against Cincinnati.
Read more about the Arizona native in What Does Kyle Cunanan Bring to Nebraska’s Special Teams?
Kevin Gallic
The New Hampshire native will likely be Nebraska’s starting longsnapper in 2025. The Huskers had two players at the position. But both of them were inconsistent. Over his twelve games as a junior, Aidan Flege contributed to the Cornhuskers’ special teams struggles with his errant snaps. This was something that the program could overcome throughout the season. However, a Flege snap against Iowa prompted Hohl to miss a critical field goal that would’ve given the Big Red the lead. Camden Witucki also had trouble standing out on the Huskers’ special teams. The 225-pound sophomore from Michigan had a shaky performance in the Huskers’ win over Colorado. Other than that performance, he failed to generate any buzz. At New Hampshire, Gallic did. In just 13 games with the Wildcats, Gallic was named a first-team All-American by Phil Steele. This proves that he can take another step up in Lincoln. At Tennessee, each of Ekeler’s longsnappers was elite. As a redshirt senior, Matthew Salansky played a total of 258 snaps on the season. This allowed him to be a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy twice. We shouldn’t expect Gallic to reach these heights right away. He’ll be too busy adjusting to the Big Ten Conference. The first game at Arrowhead Stadium will add even more responsibilities to his plate.
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