Kicking
John Lunsford returns. He is one of the best kickers in the country and should be able to build off a very impressive 2014 season where he was 5/6 on field goals longer than 50 yards. If he can improve on his accuracy (missed 2 inside of 40 and 4 inside of 50), he will have an excellent shot at playing in the NFL. As much is made of his field goal ability, his powerful leg also comes into play on kickoffs. 64% of his 75 kickoffs in 2014 were touchbacks. It’s not often kickers are referred to as weapons, but Lunsford certainly is a valuable one.
Snapper Lucas Holder and holder Javan Shashaty also return.
Punting
First team All-Big South performer Trey Turner returns. Turner averaged 41.5 yards per punt on his 56 punts in 2014. He had 15 downed inside the 20 yard line and 7 punts went for 50 yards or more. Long snapper Hunter Winstead also returns.
Returners
The Flames had plenty of issues in the return game in 2014. The season opened with Zac Parker as the main punt and kickoff returner, but after numerous mistakes by Parker, Coach Gill elected to go in a different direction. At kickoff returner, it appeared as though Alpha Jalloh began settling in and improved as the season went on. He finished with an average of 23.6 yards per return including a long of 72 on the opening kickoff against Villanova. Of course, later in the Villanova game he fumbled a kickoff. The Flames were the worst kick return team in the Big South with just 17.57 yards per return.
Liberty was the worst punt return team in the Big South with just 4.52 yards per return. Parker was replaced as punt returner by Dakota Kelly who took over the duties much of the season until Gabe Henderson replaced him in the playoffs.
The return game is an area where Coach Gill and Special Teams Coordinator Jamaal Fobbs will have to spend plenty of time on correcting for the 2015 season.
Analysis
Any team that returns the first team all conference kicker and punter will have one less thing to worry about in the offseason. Lunsford and Turner give the Flames experienced weapons at these critical positions. If the return issues get straightened out, a big if, Liberty could have one of the best special teams units in the country.
