USF Kicking Situation Not Settled

It appears that the kicking job is still an open race.

From Greg Auman - With just a few days until the start of the season, the Bulls are beginning to make their final preparations for Notre Dame. One position that many had assumed was locked up was the kicking situation. Junior Maikon Bonani, coming off of a solid 2010 season, seemed to have the job wrapped up. But an inconsistent camp and competition from a walk-on has opened the door to more competition and some late decisions for the coaching staff. [keep reading]

Junior Maikon Bonani (5-10 187-pounds) did a solid job last season. He was 13 of 17 in field goal attempts, his first full season since his back injury. Bonani was very accurate and very consistent, helping the Bulls win a huge overtime game against Louisville and giving the offense points when they failed to get anything done. But according to the coaching staff, he hasn't had a great Fall camp, showing inconsistency in his kicking game, which has opened the door to two other kickers that are looking to make an impact.

Walk-on freshman Mattias Ciabatti (6-0 178-pounds) has impressed coaches and continues to kick well. While he may not have the strongest leg, he has proven enough during the camp to remain on the team and give Bonani a run for his money. There will most likely be a split duty between the two kickers during games to see who is more accurate or if one kicker fails, the other will get their chance. The other kicker, freshman Marvin Kloss (6-0 191-pounds) has impressed with his strong leg and could take over kick-off duties, leaving the place kicking to Ciabatti and Bonani.

The punting situation hasn't resolved itself either (not a great sign to be honest). Junior Justin Brockhaus-Kann (6-2 222-pounds) averaged 37.6 yards per punt last season, but dealt with back injuries late in the season and was not that effective with getting long punts and pinning opponents back. Freshman Chris Veron (6-3 215-pounds) won the job in the Spring, edging out JBK for the starting punting job, but the job is not locked in quite yet. Expect both kickers to get onto the field as the coaches try to determine the best option.

With only a week to get ready to prepare the team for the Notre Dame game, having questions at kicker is not a great sign. While not the most important players on the field, the battle of field position and putting points on the board are always important and having question marks on who is actually going to do that is a bit nerve racking. I am confident though that the coaches will get it straight and put the best legs on the field.