(Editor's note: With the 2024 season in the books, OUInsider will review the performance of every position group this season. The series will include individual stats, snap counts and performance grades via Pro Football Focus and analysis. This installment focuses on special teams).
Brent Venables made it clear that the Sooners needed to turn things around on special teams.
The Sooners hired Doug Deakin as the special teams coordinator during the offseason. They also added Tyler Keltner and Liam Evans as field goal kickers. It was a massive area of focus after special teams had been a glaring issue over the past two seasons.
The season as a whole was rough, but special teams took steps forward and provided a boost. Here's an overview of how special teams performed in 2024:
INDIVIDUAL STATS
PUNTING
Luke Elzinga — 60 punts, 44.8 yards per punt
KICKING
Zach Schmit — 9 of 11
Tyler Keltner — 7 of 9
KICK RETURNS
Sam Franklin — 6 returns, 22.1 yards per return
Taylor Tatum — 3 returns,. 17.5 yards per return
Billy Bowman — 5 returns, 17.2 yards per return
Devon Jordan — 1 return, 12 yards
PUNT RETURNS
Peyton Bowen — 25 returns, 209 yards (8.3 per return)
Devon Jordan — 2 returns, 16 yards
Billy Bowman — 1 return, -2 yards
NOTES
— The Sooners are really going to miss Luke Elzinga. It wouldn't be completely crazy to argue that he was OU's most consistent player this season. He ranked ninth in yards per punt, and 23 of his punts were downed inside the 20. 17 of his punts went for over 50 yards.
Punters are typically overlooked, but replacing Elzinga is going to be a huge question over the next few months. He was one of the best punters in the country in almost every metric.
— Overall, the Sooners were more efficient and more productive on field goals this season. After making just 27 of 39 attempts (69%) in 2022 and 2023, Zach Schmit made 9 of 11 attempts this season and was crucial in the win over Auburn. Most notably, Schmit made 4 of his 5 attempts from 40 yards or longer. He was just 9 of 16 from that distance in the previous two years.
— Peyton Bowen finally got his shot as the Sooners' punt returner, and the results were...mixed. He averaged just over eight yards per punt, which was noticeable step up from Gavin Freeman. But he muffed three punts, including one against Missouri, and he acknowledged late in the season that he was still trying to find his rhythm as a punt returner.
Bowen did have a punt return of 13 yards or more in eight different games this season, flashing his explosiveness as a special teams player. But it'll be interesting to see if he retains that spot next season, or if someone like new Arkansas transfer Isaiah Sategna gets a chance during the spring.
— Kick returns continue to be a very small part of Oklahoma's game plan. The Sooners attempted just 13 kickoff returns, one of the lowest marks in the country, and they averaged 18.9 yards per punt, which ranked 89th.
— It wasn't perfect, but 2024 was a massive step forward in terms of productivity and efficiency for OU's special teams. According to FEI special teams rankings, the Sooners ranked 33rd in special teams efficiency. They ranked 58th in 2022 and 107th in 2023. A big part of that was Elzinga's remarkable consistency, but the Sooners were more efficient on field goals, too.
Special teams turned from a glaring weakness to a strength, more often than not. That's a testament to Deakin's impact as special teams coordinator in just one season.
OVERALL GRADE: B
