With the Texas football program now in the offseason, the American-Statesman is breaking down each position group.
Who’s gone from the 2024 squad that went 13-3 and fell a win short of a national title-game appearance? Who’s back? And what portal arrivals and freshmen from the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class have joined the team?
The Longhorns are coming off an impressive season that included a record 16-game schedule, a spot in the SEC championship game, a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second consecutive season and a final ranking of No. 3 in the US LBM Coaches Poll for the past season. The ranking marks the best showing for the Longhorns in the final coaches’ poll since 2009. The 53 coaches who vote in the coaches’ poll listed Texas behind just national champion Ohio State and national runner-up Notre Dame.
More:Texas football: How the 2024 freshmen fared, and which ones will star in 2025?
Can Texas make another push for a CFP spot in 2025? The roster has a few holes but also boasts loads of potential, as evident by the program’s high ranking in way-too-early preseason polls.
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This week, the Statesman will have a daily position-by-position breakdown of the 2025 Texas roster entering the offseason. Earlier this week, we looked at quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, the offensive line, the defensive line, linebackers and secondary.
Today, we look at the Longhorns’ special teams.
Texas football kickers and punters: Who’s gone?
P Ian Ratliff (transfer).
Texas football K/Ps: Who’s back?
Rising graduate K Bert Auburn, rising senior DS Lance St. Louis, rising senior K Will Stone, rising sophomore P Michael Kern.
More:Texas athletics set school records for revenue, expenses in 2024. Here’s why
Texas football: Who is the new Longhorns punter?
Graduate P Jack Bouwmeester (transfer)
Texas football special teams overview
Almost everyone returns in the kicking game, but this unit looks primed for an overhaul. Auburn, the school’s all-time leader in made field goals, made just 16 of his 25 field-goal attempts, and his 64% success rate ranked 105th nationally. Stone, an Austin native who graduated from Regents High School, replaced Auburn in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State but attempted just a pair of extra points.
Expect an open offseason battle between the two. There likely won’t be a battle at punter, since Bouwmeester arrives from Utah after an All-Big 12 season in 2024. Kern, who ranked near the bottom of SEC punters in per-yard average, will remain on scholarship but will likely apprentice behind his new Australian teammate.
Reach Texas beat reporter Thomas Jones via email at tjones@statesman.com.
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