Strong special teams are synonymous with the Iowa Hawkeyes. LeVar Woods, Iowa’s special teams coordinator and arguably the best in the country, has transformed the unit into one that has won games for Iowa and often dictates field position in Big Ten battles.
One way Iowa helps its offense and defense is with the punting unit. While it isn’t flashy or always the most fun, Iowa does it more effectively than just about anyone in the country. They back their opponents up to help the defense, which in turn creates short fields for the offense to work on.
Leading the charge for Iowa in the punting game is the Australian, Rhys Dakin. Entering his second year with Iowa, Dakin knows he is a vital part of Iowa’s success and is hoping to take the next step forward after a strong freshman campaign.
If he can continue his punting prowess, CBS Sports believes he could take home the Ray Guy Award as college football’s top punter.
Ray Guy Award (Top Punter)
Prediction: Rhys Dakin, P, Iowa
Iowa is a punting factory. The Hawkeyes have another really good one in Dakin, who averaged 44.1 yards per boot as a true freshman last season while totaling 2,822 yards with his leg, ranking eighth nationally. He also led the Big Ten with 29 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. – Will Backus, CBS Sports
Rhys Dakin punted 64 times for Iowa in the 2024-25 college football season with a booming average of 44.1 yards with a season-long of 61 yards. More impressively, Dakin dropped 29 of his punts (45.3%) inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, which puts them against the odds on pure yardage, let alone going against Phil Parker’s Iowa defense.
Iowa will continue to punt and play the field position game as a more conservative team in the country. When done right, as Iowa so often does, it can win games.
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Publish date : 2025-05-19 11:31:00
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