GA News: OnlineAthens - Competition ready to heat up for UGA at kicker, punter

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From OnlineAthens.com
August 1st, 2016 12:54 PM

Georgia’s placekicking and punting jobs appeared to be wide open as the Bulldogs opened up preseason practices on Monday.
“I don’t have a good read on that,” coach Kirby Smart said. “Competition is going to be very important.”
Redshirt freshman Rodrigo Blankenship had the best G-Day among the kickers but redshirt sophomore William Ham is still pushing him. Smart didn’t mention another preferred walk-on, Mitchell Wasson of Lassiter, but said Blankenship and Ham will be in “constant competition” on field goals, extra points and kickoffs.
At punter, Smart called it an “open competition” between signee Marshall Long from North Carolina and Brice Ramsey. Ramsey took over as punter last season, averaging 41.9 yards on 25 kicks, but he’s also competing at quarterback, the position he came to Georgia to play.
Smart doesn’t have qualms about Ramsey continue to hold the punting job.
“I’m going to kick the best punter and if he’s the best punter, then he’s the best punter,” Smart said. “If he’s the best quarterback then he’ll be playing quarterback. But that’s not going to limit his ability to punt if he’s the best guy for the job. There’s a lot more to that than just leg strength and we’ve got operation times. There’s a lot involved in that.”
Smart is looking to create the type of atmosphere that will put pressure on the kickers like they will see in games.
“I sit in bed in night and think of ways I can put these kids in situations that will simulate in their fall camps as kickers what they’re going to enter into the season,” Smart said. “You’re always trying to get that situation emulated but I think the spring game we were able to get that environment that you need for a kicker. I think that’s harder to do in camp to simulate those situations.”


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