Notre Dame football: Irish kicking game looks good for 2016

By Walt Kosin | Aug 25, 2016

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish punter Tyler Newsome (85) against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

With a trio of solid returning starters, the Irish kicking game is likely to be one of the most consistent units for Notre Dame this season.

One of the most overlooked aspects of a football team is its kicking game, but Notre Dame has three solid players to rely on in this important facet of the game: long snapper Scott Daly, punter Tyler Newsome and kicker Justin Yoon.

Daly is a graduate student in his fifth year with the Irish. As a high schooler in Downers Grove, Illinois, he was named long snapper of the year in 2011 while also playing tight end. Notre Dame is fairly unique in how the program focuses on this usually underrated position and even offers scholarships to long snapper specialists.

More from Notre Dame Fighting Irish

In his last two seasons at Notre Dame, Daly has not had a bad snap on extra points, field goals or punts. Close-scoring games can be affected by the long snapper, and Notre Dame has made the necessary investment to this position. Just this past recruiting cycle, Brian Kelly brought in freshman John Shannon, also the top-rated long snapper in his class, to serve as Daly’s understudy and then successor.

Newsome is a redshirt sophomore from Carrollton, Georgia. While in high school, he was named the Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-State kicker and punter. As a senior, he was 5-for-5 on field goal attempts and 78-for-78 on extra points. He concluded his high school career by playing in the Semper Fidelis All-American game.

After a quiet freshman campaign, Newsome came into the spotlight last season as the starting punter. He made 55 punts and averaged 44.5 yards per punt, with a long of 62 yards. Most importantly, he put a number of punts inside the 10-yard line, giving the Notre Dame defense great field position.

Newsome is also not afraid to get involved in contact, as he made four tackles on his punts in 2015. He also doubled up as Notre Dame’s kickoff specialist, with 84 kicks averaging 61 yards and 21 touchbacks.

Kicker Justin Yoon is a sophomore from Nashville, Tennessee who attended Milton Academy in Massachusetts. As a senior in high school, he made four of six field goals and 38 of 39 points after touchdowns even though he sustained a back injury early in the season. He was still considered the number one kicker in his class by 247Sports.

Coming in and starting immediately in his freshman season last year, Yoon made 15 of 17 field goal attempts for an 88 percent conversion rate. He missed two field goals early in the season, then made 12 in a row. On extra points, he was 48-for-50, with a streak of 34 in a row to end the year.

Next: Podcast: Irish Coffee, Episode 3: Suspensions and fallout

The Fighting Irish look to be in great shape with the kicking game. Tyler Newsome’s punting will help Notre Dame in field position. With steady Scott Daly snapping, there should not be many mistakes in the kicking game. Justin Yoon should continue to improve and will probably be called on to win a game or two with a last-minute field goal. Fighting Irish fans should be confident in Notre Dame’s kicking game as it will hopefully be part of a playoff team.

Home/Notre Dame Fighting Irish