The Miami Hurricanes have lost two-thirds of their specialists from the 14th ranked unit in 2024 per the SP+.
The Miami Hurricanes kicking game has undergone an overhaul this off-season. Miami ended the 2024 season with the 14th best kicking game in FBS per the SP+. The 2025 season will feature a new placekicker and long snapper, as well as Clay James who has joined the staff as an assistant special teams coach.
The main returning cog to the kicking game is punter/holder Dylan Joyce. This will be Miami’s first season without a Borregales kicking since the 2019 season. How good have the Borregales brothers been at Miami? They’ve been the most sure-thing and consistent players on the field since the 2020 season.
Jose Borregales won the Lou Groza award for the nation’s best kicker in 2020, while Andres Borregales followed up his older brother with a Groza Semifinalist and All-ACC career. Combined the Borregales brothers only missed 14 field goals in five season at The U.
The new blood for ‘25
Miami has added Clay James to its special teams staff. James, a former long snapper for the Hurricanes, has spent the past two seasons as an offensive quality control analyst at Georgia.
He returns to his alma mater to assist coordinator Danny Kalter. pic.twitter.com/eYJfGGuied
— Gaby Urrutia (@GabyUrrutia247) March 7, 2025
The Hurricanes also lost long snapper Mason Napper to graduation. Napper was a 6th year senior and the fact that I needed a Google reminder of who the LS was in ‘24 means he did a fantastic job. Napper was the Hurricanes short snapper in 2022, and short and long snapper the past two seasons.
A former Miami long snapper, Clay James was brought in to work with the specialists after spending two seasons at UGA working for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs as an offensive analyst. James will be working with only one returning specialist in Joyce, and is also being asked to help Danny Kalter improve both the kick and punt coverage teams as well as the kick and punt return teams at Miami.
With James comes a new LS and a new kickoff specialist, but potentially not a new placekicker for PAT’s and FG’s. Miami’s new LS is former Charlotte specialist Adam Booker. Per 247 Sports, Booker recorded a 98% snap target grade last season.
Former FAU kicker Carter Davis was brought in to replace Borregales on KO duty and hit touchbacks on 81% of deep kicks. However, Davis has hit on only 4-of-11 FG’s over three seasons as an Owl.
I can’t see Mario Cristobal relying solely on Davis as his FG kicker in ‘25. Redshirt Freshman Abram Murray was perfect on kicks in 2024 as he made his lone FG attempt and hit on all four PAT’s.
The coverage units need to be cleaned up and a talent infusion can help that. The deeper the talent goes the more talented kicking games generally can be at the college level. In the return game, Ray Ray Joseph (7.5 yards per return) struggled on PR’s last year and Chris Johnson Jr., Miami’s best kick returner (24.4 yards per return), is now an SMU Mustang.
Special Teams SP+ Data
How important (or unimportant) is kicking in college football? Notre Dame had kicking woes all season but relied on a deep bomb from Mitch Jeter to get the Irish into the College Football Playoff National Championship Game while also shanking a late FG agains the OSU Buckeyes in an 11 point loss in the title game.
The Buckeyes finished the ‘24 season 47th in Special Teams SP+. A year ago, the Michigan Wolverines were 7th in Special Teams SP+, while UGA’s ST’s SP+ numbers were 8th in ‘22, and 30th in their less dominant ‘21 season.
The Wrap
The ‘Canes absolutely needed new blood when it came to the coaching staff. Nothing has been harder to watch than Miami’s coverage and return units. But the actual specialists have been money for Miami dating back to the 2020 season with the older Borregales and punter Lou Hedley.
The Hurricanes nearly cannot have the same success on the field as they have under the last LS and PK duo. It will help that Joyce is still holding but the value of Borregales and Napper cannot be undersold. Close games are won and lost in the kicking game and I hope that the addition of James can soften the blow of losing 66% of your specialists.
When it comes to the return game the ‘Canes need an explosive kick returner and a punt returner who can actually catch a punt and not lose hidden yardage due to the ball rolling. A coverage unit that doesn’t get smoked for huge, game changing returns would be nice as well.