SPECIAL TEAMS
LONG SNAPPER
Returning players: Jacob Garcia, Alexander McDougall
2023 players not returning: None
2024 post-spring ball attrition: None
2023 total production lost: None
2023 total production returning: 13 games
2023 total production transferring in (transfer portal/junior college): None
2024 OUTLOOK
JACOB GARCIA
Graduate senior Jacob Garcia has a firm hold on the top spot here. Last year Garcia snapped in all 13 games. During his 3-year career at Utah State, he has snapped in 40 straight games.
According to 247sports coming out of Servite High (CA), Garcia was rated as the 3,596th-best player nationally, the 9th-best long snapper, and the 417th-best player in California. He was also rated as the 3rd-best long snapper in the country by Rubio Long Snapping and the 4th-best long snapper by Kohl’s Kicking School. He chose the Aggies over an offer from Air Force and preferred walk-on offers from Arizona and Michigan.
Garcia puts his snaps right in the punter or holder’s hands nearly every time. His speed and timing in getting the ball to his target are exceptional. He explodes well with his lower half and the harder he snaps, the better his speeds will be, and the more separation he creates between himself and the defender when he sets to block. He also excels in his ability to get downfield and make a tackle once his primary job is complete. He prides himself on his accuracy.
ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL
Redshirt freshman preferred walk-on Alexander McDougall will hold down the second spot at this position. Last season McDougall sat out the season while redshirting at Utah State. As a senior at Centennial High (CA), in 2022, he snapped in all 12 games.
McDougall was rated as the 51st-best long snapper in the country by Rubio Long Snapping. He chose the Aggies over offers from Arizona Christian and Cal-Lutheran.
McDougall’s starting form is great, the harder he snaps the ball the better he is. He snaps a smooth ball that is easy to catch when he leans back and presses the gas. The more reps he continues to get at the collegiate level he will snap with confidence and become a more dominant player. He shows good overall quickness out of the gate on his coverage skills once the ball has been kicked.
PROJECTED 2024 PRESEASON DEPTH CHART
LONG SNAPPER
49 Jacob Garcia (6-0, 250, Gr-Sr., 3L, 5*)
52 Alexander McDougall (5-11, 210, RsFr., RS, 4.5*)
PUNTER
Returning players: Stephen Kotsanlee, Ryan Marks
2023 players not returning: None
2024 post-spring ball attrition: Colton Schlimgen (left team)
2023 total production lost: None
2023 total production returning: 15 games, 63 punts, 43.3 yards per punt, 11 50+ yard punts, 20 punts inside the 20
2023 total production transferring in (transfer portal/junior college): None
New Faces in 2024: None
2024 OUTLOOK
STEPHEN KOTSANLEE
Senior Stephen Kotsanlee will use his final season of eligibility in 2024. Last year Kotsanlee had his season cut short with an injury but he did play in 6 games, booting 25 punts for an average of 43.4 yards per punt, with 4 50+ yard punts, and landing 8 inside the 20-yard line. During his 4-year career at Utah State, he has punted in 39 games, booting 182 punts for an average of 42.6 yards per punt, with 39 50+ yard punts, and landing 68 inside the 20-yard line.
According to 247sports coming out of Pro Kick Academy (Australia), Kotsanlee was rated as the 3,835th-best player nationally, the 12th-best punter, and the 6th-best player in Australia.
Kotsanlee is a punter from Australia. He has the Aussie style of punting, which brings him outside the pocket on his kicks. He does a good job of creating hangtime which allows the Aggie defenders plenty of time to cover the kick. He has the ability to turn the ball over and spiral downward in an awkward spin that makes the ball very difficult for opposing returners to handle cleanly. He has good accuracy and is one of the best directional kickers in the conference.
RYAN MARKS
Holding down the second spot on the depth chart for one more season will be sophomore preferred walk-on Ryan Marks. In his first taste of action as an Aggie last year Marks played in 9 games booting 38 punts for an average of 43.2 yards per punt, with 7 50+ yard punts, and landing 12 inside the 20-yard line.
According to 247sports coming out of Farmington High (UT), Marks was rated as the 3,115th-best player nationally, the 14th-best punter, and the 31st-best player in Utah. He was rated as the 7th-best punter in the country by Kohl’s Kicking. He also participated in the 2019 Under Armour All-American game.
Marks punts from the traditional style of kicking. He is a great-looking athlete with a live leg. He has a big leg and will continue to improve. He is a very good kicker and he possesses a strong leg. He kicks with confidence and has good follow-through. He drives into the ball to create solid hang time. He kicks with poise and can hit a spiral that turns over very impressively.
PROJECTED 2024 PRESEASON DEPTH CHART
PUNTER
63 Stephen Kotsanlee (6-1, 210, Gr-Sr., 4L, 3*)
47 Ryan Marks (5-11, 230, So., 1L, 3*)
KICKER
Returning players: Elliott Nimrod
2023 players not returning: William Testa (transfer portal)
2024 post-spring ball attrition: Britton Watts (left team)
2023 total production lost: 3 games, 2 FGs,
2023 total production returning: 12 games, 11 FGs, 41 PATs, 65 kickoffs, 60.4 avg. yards per kick, 31 touchbacks
2023 total production transferring in (transfer portal/junior college): None
New Faces in 2024:
Tanner Cragun 6’2″ 203 (Sailer 5*) – university of utah – (4 years to play 4)
2023 (Fr.) Stats: Redshirted at university of utah
2020 (Fr.) Stats: COVID season at university of utah
Original offers from: Army, Texas (PWO), utah (PWO)
Primary recruiter: Bobby Dodd
https://utahutes.com/sports/football/roster/tanner-cragun/15361
https://www.hudl.com/profile/7811572/Tanner-Cragun
2024 OUTLOOK
ELLIOTT NIMROD
Senior Elliott Nimrod will enter the season as the clear-cut choice at kicker. Last year Nimrod played in 12 games connecting on 11 of 14 field goal tries and 41 of 43 PAT attempts, and booted 65 kickoffs for an average of 60.4 yards per kick with 31 touchbacks. He also scored a touchdown on a fake field goal. During his 4-year career between Utah State and Arkansas State, he has played in 46 games, connecting on 11 of 14 field goal tries and 41 of 43 PAT attempts, and booted 243 kickoffs for an average of 57.9 yards per kick with 92 touchbacks and scoring one touchdown.
Coming out of Bentonville High (AR), he was rated as a 51st-best kicker by Kohl’s Kicking Camp.
Nimrod displays excellent ball-striking ability in the field goal and kick-off portions of his game. His drill work is sound and he is very confident in his ball striking and he has a good command of his rotation. The ball jumps off his foot and he uses his athletic frame to his advantage. His refinement on field goals is impressive. He creates a consistent leg swing and generates impressive drive on his kicks.
TANNER CRAGUN
Tanner Cragun is a transfer from the university of utah who will enter the 2024 season as a redshirt freshman with four years of eligibility remaining. Cragun spent last season as a redshirt freshman for the utes.
Cragun was rated as the 10th-best kicker in the country by Chris Sailer Kicking. His original offers included an offer from Army and preferred walk-on offers from Texas and utah.
Cragun hits a clean ball and easily has 55+ yard range. His kickoffs are excellent, college-ready, and he drives the ball deep into the end zone with 4.0+ hang time. His field goals are outstanding off the ground and he shows dead-aim accuracy. He is a solid athlete with one of the strongest legs in America. He is a competitor that does very well under pressure
PROJECTED 2024 PRESEASON DEPTH CHART
KICKER
89 Elliott Nimrod (6-0, 180, Sr., 2L, NR)
46 Tanner Cragun (6-2, 200, RsFr., TR, 4.5*)
PUNT RETURN
Returning players: Kahanu Davis, Micah Davis, Kyrese White
2023 players not returning: None
2024 post-spring ball attrition: Cooper Jones (transferred to boise state)
2023 total production lost: 1 return, avg. 9.0 yards per return
2023 total production returning: 26 returns, avg. 9.6 yards per return
2023 total production transferring in (transfer portal/junior college): 18 returns, avg. 19.2 yards per return, 2 touchdowns
New Faces in 2024:
Robert Freeman 5’8″ 164 (247 3*) – American River CC, CA – (3 years to play 2)
2023 (So.) Stats: 15 punt returns 345 yards 2 TDs
2022 (Fr.) Stats: 14 punt returns 154 yards
Offers from: Austin Peay, Eastern Washington, Stephen F. Austin, UTEP
Original offers from: Arizona St, Southern Oregon
Primary Recruiter: Nick Paremski, Kyle Cefalo
https://247sports.com/player/robert-freeman-46099853/
https://www.hudl.com/profile/11966931/Robert-Freeman
2024 OUTLOOK
MICAH DAVIS
Senior Micah Davis had a stellar first season in an Aggie uniform. Last season Davis played in 11 games returning 26 punts for an average of 9.6 yards per return. For his effort, he earned an all-Mountain West Conference honorable mention selection. During his 4-year career at Iowa Western Community College and Air Force, he has played in 35 games, returning 57 punts for an average of 10.5 yards per return.
Davis was a key member of the 2022 Iowa Western Community College (IA) NJCAA National Championship team. He chose the Aggies over offers from Coastal Carolina, Indiana, Southeast Missouri State, and Wyoming.
Davis is a prolific route-runner who specializes in deep balls thanks to his releases at the line of scrimmage. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands, gaining immediate separation and reaching top speed right away. He is shifty, with “make guys miss in a phone booth”, type of footwork. He has great field vision and can also be used in jet sweeps and other plays designed to get him in the open field. He does most of his damage playing out of the slot. I believe he will be a huge part of the Aggie offense in 2024.
ROBERT FREEMAN
Robert Freeman is a junior college transfer who will enter the 2024 season as a junior with three years to complete his final two seasons of eligibility. Last year Freeman started all 11 games returning 18 punts for an average of 19.2 yards per return and 2 touchdowns. For his effort, he was named a California Community College Region 1 first-team all-American. During his 2-year career he has started all 22 games, returning 32 punts for an average of 15.6 yards per return and 2 touchdowns. His cousin Herschel Turner is a running back for the Aggies.
According to 247sports coming out of American River Community College (CA), Freeman was rated as the 125th-best junior college player nationally, the 19th-best junior college wide receiver, and the 22nd-best junior college prospect overall in California. He chose the Aggies over offers from Austin Peay, Eastern Washington, Stephen F. Austin, and UTEP.
Freeman is a dynamic receiver who will fit in the slot very nicely in the Aggies offensive system. He has quick, shifty footwork and he often confuses opposing defensive backs with an array of cuts, stutter steps, and releases. He is not afraid to operate over the middle of the field and he can compact his body to absorb contact once he catches a pass. He has verticle speed and can get upfield in a hurry which makes him a deep threat. He can be used in several ways on offense, especially getting the ball around the line of scrimmage on drag routes and jet sweeps. I think he compares favorably to former Aggie wide receiver Terrell Vaughn.
KAHANU DAVIS
Redshirt junior Kahanu Davis had a solid spring and will battle for the second-team spot at this position. Last season Davis was able to retain his redshirt status by appearing in the maximum 4 games but did not return any punts. During his 3-year career at Utah State and Southwestern Community College (CA), he has played in 22 games, returning 10 punts for an average of 5.3 yards per punt.
Davis chose the Aggies over offers from Illinois State, Missouri State, Morehead State, San Diego, South Dakota School of Mines, and Wagner.
Davis is a skilled receiver who has honed his skill by setting up cornerbacks and making one or two moves to get wide-open. He is very good in the intermediate and deep routes. Once the ball is in his hands, he is capable of making every play explosive with his yards after the catch. He tracks the ball well in the air and does a good job of making the catch in stride to maximize the potential of each play. I believe that Davis has a very good chance of cracking the rotation in 2024.
PROJECTED 2024 PRESEASON DEPTH CHART
PUNT RETURN
4 Micah Davis (5-11, 185, Sr., 1L, 3*)
0 Robert Freeman (5-8, 164, Jr., JC, 3*)
14 Kahanu Davis (6-0, 185, RsJr., RS, NR)
KICK RETURN
Returning players: Robert Briggs, Micah Davis
2023 players not returning: Terrell Vaughn (graduation)
2024 post-spring ball attrition: Davon Booth (transferred to Mississippi State), Cooper Jones (transferred to boise state)
2023 total production lost: 11 returns, avg. 21.5 yards per return
2023 total production returning: 7 returns, avg. 19.0 yards per return
2023 total production transferring in (transfer portal/junior college): 15 returns, avg. 25.5 yards per return
New Faces in 2024:
Robert Freeman 5’8″ 164 (247 3*) – American River CC, CA – (3 years to play 2)
2023 (So.) Stats: 15 kick returns 383 yards
2022 (Fr.) Stats: 24 kick returns 730 yards 2 TDs
Offers from: Austin Peay, Eastern Washington, Stephen F. Austin, UTEP
Original offers from: Arizona St, Southern Oregon
Primary Recruiter: Nick Paremski, Kyle Cefalo
https://247sports.com/player/robert-freeman-46099853/
https://www.hudl.com/profile/11966931/Robert-Freeman
2024 OUTLOOK
ROBERT BRIGGS
Junior Robert Briggs is coming off a strong spring performance and is looking forward to seeing his workload increase. Last season Briggs played in 11 games and returned 1 kick for 50 yards. During his 2-year career at Utah State, he has played in 21 games and returned 2 kicks for an average of 29.5 yards per return.
According to 247sports coming out of Bellville High (TX), Briggs was rated as the 1,825th-best player nationally, the 79th-best athlete, and the 144th-best prospect overall in Texas. He chose the Aggies over an offer from Houston Christian.
Briggs is a powerful compact runner who switches to another gear once he gets downfield and can run vertically. He is a patient runner who waits for plays to develop and shakes off tackles around the line of scrimmage. His forte is getting outside of the tackles and shaking free with slippery open-field moves. He is also able to add value in the passing game, thanks to his ability to line up as a receiver, and that can add a new wrinkle to the offense making him more difficult to defend.
MICAH DAVIS
Senior Micah Davis had a stellar first season in an Aggie uniform. Last season Davis played in 11 games, returning 6 kicks for an average of 13.8 yards per return. uring his 4-year career at Iowa Western Community College and Air Force he has played in 35 games returning 19 kicks for an average of 18.9 yards per return.
Davis was a key member of the 2022 Iowa Western Community College (IA) NJCAA National Championship team. He chose the Aggies over offers from Coastal Carolina, Indiana, Southeast Missouri State, and Wyoming.
Davis is a prolific route-runner who specializes in deep balls thanks to his releases at the line of scrimmage. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands, gaining immediate separation and reaching top speed right away. He is shifty, with “make guys miss in a phone booth”, type of footwork. He has great field vision and can also be used in jet sweeps and other plays designed to get him in the open field. He does most of his damage playing out of the slot. I believe he will be a huge part of the Aggie offense in 2024.
ROBERT FREEMAN
Robert Freeman is a junior college transfer who will enter the 2024 season as a junior with three years to complete his final two seasons of eligibility. Last year Freeman started all 11 games, returning 15 kicks for an average of 25.5 yards per return. During his 2-year career at Southwestern Community College (CA), he started all 22 games, returning 39 kicks for an average of 28.5 yards per return and 2 touchdowns. His cousin Herschel Turner is a running back for the Aggies.
According to 247sports coming out of American River Community College (CA), Freeman was rated as the 125th-best junior college player nationally, the 19th-best junior college wide receiver, and the 22nd-best junior college prospect overall in California. He chose the Aggies over offers from Austin Peay, Eastern Washington, Stephen F. Austin, and UTEP.
Freeman is a dynamic receiver who will fit in the slot very nicely in the Aggies offensive system. He has quick, shifty footwork and he often confuses opposing defensive backs with an array of cuts, stutter steps, and releases. He is not afraid to operate over the middle of the field and he can compact his body to absorb contact once he catches a pass. He has verticle speed and can get upfield in a hurry which makes him a deep threat. He can be used in several ways on offense, especially getting the ball around the line of scrimmage on drag routes and jet sweeps. I think he compares favorably to former Aggie wide receiver Terrell Vaughn.
KYRESE WHITE
Graduate senior Kyrese White had a great spring and has put himself in position to be a major contributor this season.
Last season he saw action in all 13 games but did not return any kicks. The 2024 season will be the first time in his career he will have the opportunity to return kicks. White is the son of Aggie Hall-of-Fame running back Emmett White.
White is a tremendous all-around athlete. He has quick feet and can get off the ball in a hurry. He is very tough for defensive backs to get a hand on at the line of scrimmage. After he makes a catch, he is very dynamic with the ball in his hands and can use a myriad of moves to gain yards after the catch. He can also be used as a jet sweep threat. He was also a standout defensive back in high school and that will serve him well in reading opposing defensive coverages.
PROJECTED 2024 PRESEASON DEPTH CHART
KICK RETURN
2 Robert Briggs (5-6, 180, Jr., 2L, 3*)
4 Micah Davis (5-11, 185, Sr., 1L, 3*)
0 Robert Freeman (5-8, 164, Jr., JC, 3*)
26 Kyrese Rowan (5-10, 185, Sr., 2L, NR)
Coming Up On Friday: Tribute to Andre Seldon Jr.