#10Strong Series: Special Teams Preview

 
Moving forward from a 9-4 season in which Appalachian State claimed a second straight Sun Belt Conference title and a third consecutive bowl victory, the Mountaineers have adopted the #10Strong motto for 2018.
 
In the spring, head coach Scott Satterfield and assistant athletics director of athletic performance Mike Sirignano formed a leadership panel that included one player from each of the 10 assigned position groups and had weekly discussions about the contents of a Jon Gordon book called "The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy."
 
Today's position preview in the #10Strong Series leading up to the Sept. 1 opener at Penn State focuses on special teams, with senior Elias McMurry serving as that group's representative on the panel.
 
Entering his fourth year as a starter after being named the first-team long snapper on Phil Steele's All-Sun Belt teams in 2017, McMurry gained valuable insight that he can share with his younger teammates. Last season, the Mountaineers had a true freshman punter, redshirt freshman kicker, redshirt freshman holder and sophomore kickoff specialist. The primary punt returners were a true freshman and second-year sophomore.
 
"Last year, we had some inexperience," McMurry said. "Being able to relay things I've been able to see throughout my time here, hopefully it makes everybody a little more comfortable and allows people to settle in, to be a little more relaxed."
 
Chandler Staton (8-for-9 on field goals last year) and Michael Rubino (29 touchbacks on 81 kickoffs) are both back, as is 2017 punter Xavier Subotsch and redshirt freshman punter Clayton Howell. Subotsch and two quarterbacks (Zeb Speir, Peyton Derrick) are the leading candidates to hold on kicks following McMurry's snaps, while the coverage units return 2017 staples such as Brad Absher (five tackles on kickoff coverage last season), Kaiden Smith (Dollar General Bowl special teams MVP), Austin Exford, Devonte Harrison and Noel Cook. A.J. Howard's tireless participation on multiple units last year made him a more attractive prospect to NFL teams, which have 53-man rosters and need more of their defensive or offensive players to contribute on special teams.
 
The primary options in the return game are Darrynton Evans (redshirted in 2017 after ending 2016 with a kickoff return for a touchdown in the Camellia Bowl), Clifton Duck, Thomas Hennigan, Jalen Virgil, Shaun Jolly, A.J. Beach and Dominique Heath.
 
"The fun thing is we've got guys who have done the jobs that we're asking them to do," special teams coach Stu Holt said. "We don't have a lot of holes where we're trying to find out if they can do it in a game."
 
Hitting a few high notes from Tuesday's practice:
 
* Junior safety Josh Thomas had a long interception return for a touchdown during one red-zone session.
 
* Another safety, senior Austin Exford, had several big hits during the same part of practice.
 
* True freshman running back Camerun Peoples, who is 6-foot-2, showed off his impressive size and speed on one long touchdown run. He also found a hole and reached the end zone during a red-zone situation.
 
* D'Andre Hicks also scored a red-zone touchdown as a new option at running back following a redshirt year at cornerback, and graduate transfer Dominique Heath's quickness was apparent on several routes as a receiver.