Kicker - Nolan Hauser
Nobody worries about kicker until they don’t have one. Last season, there was a period of time when Clemson didn’t have one, or at least didn’t have one they felt they could rely on.
Swinney said that Hauser had been good this spring but that Robert Gunn held a small lead in their competition to be the starting placekicker.
Gunn missed a 55-yard attempt but it was a good attempt. He had the distance but was slightly too far right. Nothing to be ashamed of there. He made a 36-yard kick but then missed a 37-yard attempt to finish 1 for 3. Under the circumstances, I wouldn’t have been worried about 2 for 3 when the miss was a roll of the dice from 55 yards. Missing from 37 yards when he had just made a kick of similar distance indicates there is still a consistency issue for Gunn.
Hauser didn’t make as many attempts but made both kicks, from 29 yards and 48 yards. Hauser’s longer kick was impressive, but it might have been the shorter kick that earned him the most credit. Gunn ultimately lost his job last season because he couldn’t “hit the lay-ups”.
It would have been nice to see Hauser take a few more shots. That’s not the way the ball bounced, but I must admit I feel more confident in Hauser as a placekicker than Gunn.
With Gunn taking kickoffs with his distance and Hauser taking placekicking duties, the Tigers get the best of both players, assuming no injuries (Gunn was impacted by an injury in 2023) or transfers (did I mention the portal opens Monday?).
NEXT: Cornerback - Tavoy Feagin