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Do other teams use a scholarship on a long snapper?
Posted on 8/23/19 at 7:25 am
Posted on 8/23/19 at 7:25 am
This is bugging the shite out of me. It feels like Tennessee has done this twice in the last few years and I just don't get it.
How hard is it for a center or some other offensive lineman on the depth chart to learn how to snap the fricking football to the holder or punter?
Seems like basic shite that doesn't warrant burning a scholarship on a 1* player who serves no other function.
How hard is it for a center or some other offensive lineman on the depth chart to learn how to snap the fricking football to the holder or punter?
Seems like basic shite that doesn't warrant burning a scholarship on a 1* player who serves no other function.
11
Posted on 8/23/19 at 7:30 am to Vols&Shaft83
Yeah we use one on a long snapper once every 3 years. I don’t really complain about it because I can’t remember the last time we had one sail over our punters head.
Posted on 8/23/19 at 7:31 am to Vols&Shaft83
We have a pipeline of long snappers out of Buford high school in Georgia, all on scholarship.
Reid Ferguson (2012-2015)
Blake Ferguson (2015-2019)
Quentin Skinner (2019-
It's not just about snapping the ball well, but specifically on punts having an extra athlete out on the field to make a tackle if necessary. All 3 of those guys were built like linebackers and could run. Not some out of shape 6 foot 250 pound kid who looks worse than a punter trying to make a tackle. The idea is instead of making it 1 on 9 in a return game you at least make it 1 on 10, 1 on 11 would be great if the punter is a capable athlete too. Nobody has returned a punt for a TD on us the last 3 years.
Reid Ferguson today:
Buffalo Bills long snapper
Going to make $850k this year snapping footballs and covering punts in NFL
Reid Ferguson (2012-2015)
Blake Ferguson (2015-2019)
Quentin Skinner (2019-
It's not just about snapping the ball well, but specifically on punts having an extra athlete out on the field to make a tackle if necessary. All 3 of those guys were built like linebackers and could run. Not some out of shape 6 foot 250 pound kid who looks worse than a punter trying to make a tackle. The idea is instead of making it 1 on 9 in a return game you at least make it 1 on 10, 1 on 11 would be great if the punter is a capable athlete too. Nobody has returned a punt for a TD on us the last 3 years.
Reid Ferguson today:
Buffalo Bills long snapper
Going to make $850k this year snapping footballs and covering punts in NFL
This post was edited on 8/23/19 at 7:37 am
Posted on 8/23/19 at 7:37 am to thunderbird1100
Gotcha
Posted on 8/23/19 at 9:20 am to Vols&Shaft83
quote:
How hard is it for a center or some other offensive lineman on the depth chart to learn how to snap the fricking football to the holder or punter?
Seems like basic shite that doesn't warrant burning a scholarship on a 1* player who serves no other function.
It is surprisingly hard to do it well on a consistent basis.
Here is a little bit of trivia...the first True Freshman to start and letter in the SEC (in the modern era) was Mike Overton of Tennessee. He lettered in 1973, the first year that Freshmen were eligible to play in the SEC. He was a long snapper, who went in mid-season after an injury to the starter. He wound up starting 39 games for Tennessee in his 4 year career.
Posted on 8/23/19 at 9:30 am to Vols&Shaft83
It's pretty common to have at least on on scholarship.
Posted on 8/23/19 at 9:32 am to Porter Osborne Jr
quote:
It's pretty common to have at least on on scholarship.
I dont see why not, with 85 scholarship spots seems dumb to not spend a scholarship on a guy who will be flawless snapping the ball on special teams and can also cover punts.
A lot of NFL teams use a 53-man roster spot for a long snapper.
Posted on 8/23/19 at 10:02 am to thunderbird1100
It's a thankless position but a critical one. Your whole season can be won or lost with a bad snap. You might as well have the best person for the job.
This post was edited on 8/23/19 at 11:48 am
Posted on 8/23/19 at 11:20 am to Vols&Shaft83
It's a lot harder to be very consistent than you would think. Especially if you're have to block or run in punt coverage after the snap. You need to work with the kicker and holder a ton and that would take reps away from working with the o-line.
Source: I was a very mediocre long snapper in high school.
Source: I was a very mediocre long snapper in high school.
Posted on 8/23/19 at 2:31 pm to thunderbird1100
Used to go to church with the Ferguson’s in Alpharetta Ga. Great dudes and great family.
Posted on 8/23/19 at 3:51 pm to Vols&Shaft83
Lomgsnapping is hard, most fat lineman can’t do it
Posted on 8/23/19 at 4:01 pm to Vols&Shaft83
If you can just take walk ons and eventually give one a long-snapping scholarship, thats ok.
If you're recruiting long-snappers WITH scholarships they'd better start all 4 years.
If you're recruiting long-snappers WITH scholarships they'd better start all 4 years.
Posted on 8/24/19 at 1:36 am to Vols&Shaft83
Best long snapper I remember for Auburn, Josh Harris, came as a walk-on and actually beat out a guy named Dax Dellenbach who was recruited and signed as a scholarship player by Tubs. Dellenbach ended up transferring to FSU, meanwhile Harris has been the Falcons long snapper since 2012 and his current contract is through 2021 and he's making just over $1mil per year. Not bad for a walk-on
Posted on 8/24/19 at 11:17 am to Vols&Shaft83
Yes. For quite some time.
Cole Mazza was the first I can recall being recruited (others were walkons awarded scholarships). That was in 2013. He started 4 years and is now the Chargers' starting LS.
Thomas Fletcher was signed in 2017. And is still the starting LS.
Cole Mazza was the first I can recall being recruited (others were walkons awarded scholarships). That was in 2013. He started 4 years and is now the Chargers' starting LS.
Thomas Fletcher was signed in 2017. And is still the starting LS.
Posted on 8/26/19 at 11:30 am to Vols&Shaft83
We signed a grad transfer for this season
Posted on 8/26/19 at 8:56 pm to Vols&Shaft83
Nobody cares about the long snapper until you don’t have one.
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