Auburn Football 2017 Post Signing Day Position Analysis: Special Teams

With signing day behind us and a new class of Tigers on board, it's time to turn our attention to what this football team may look like going into the 2017 season. We still have spring practice to go and many of the 2017 recruiting class won't arrive until this summer, but it's the offseason and a time of making up content, so that's what we're doing.

This is starting today because I'm traveling and may not be able to post much. It will go through the next two weeks skipping the day of the week where Auburn Basketball is playing because it spreads content out and because I don't want them to get too lost in the shuffle on those days.

Special Teams:

I'm folding everything related to special teams into this category, so it also involves the returners.

Key Losses:

Marcus Davis, Kevin Phillips

Key Returnees:

Ike Powell, Tyler Stovall, Daniel Carlson, Ian Shannon, Stephen Roberts

Signees:

Bill Taylor, Anders Carlson, JaTarvious Whitlow

Thoughts:

The biggest issue here is the loss of punter Kevin Phillips. There was some discussion that Anders Carlson may punt this year with his brother Daniel handling the other duties, but it looks now like they really want to redshirt him. So, we've got to hope that Ian Shannon can step up and take the job.

I included JaTarvious Whitlow in this because he stands a very good chance of taking the punt return job from Stephen Roberts. Roberts did a pretty good job - getting more yards in one return against Bama than most of our offense did all game long - in relief of Marcus Davis, but I think Whitlow has that little burst we may love to see in a returner.

For kicking duties, hey, it's #Legatron. We know what we've got there. Ike Powell returns as a junior with the long snapping duties. We could discuss whether newcomer Bill Taylor could beat him out, but I think I'd rather see Taylor redshirt and begin working with Anders Carlson and whoever will be his holder so that they build a team like Powell, Stovall, and Daniel have.

We have great special teams. Of course, as I'm pre-writing this on the 9th of February, I don't know who the Special Teams coach will be. Hopefully, I'll be able to update this before it posts with the name of the new coach. We'll see, though.

Possible Starters:

Kickoffs: Daniel Carlson

Punter: Ian Shannon

Punt Returner: Stephen Roberts

Long Snapper: Ike Powell

Holder: Tyler Stovall

Place Kicker: Daniel Carlson