IU football spring position preview: Special teams

With spring football here, we’re going position by position looking at Indiana’s roster.

Nico Radicic is back for another year as Indiana’s placekicker, after displaying remarkable accuracy for a second consecutive season. He’s 28 for 30 on field goal attempts throughout his IU career, along with a perfect 156 for 156 on extra points.

Troy transfer Paddy McAteer could be in line to take over kickoff duties, but it’s hard to tell. Quinn Warren stepped in there when Brendan Franke was injured, and he held up alright, but there was a noticeable difference between the two.

With Mitch McCarthy gone, Curt Cignetti brought in 29-year-old sophomore Billy Gowers out of the transfer portal from Hawaii. Gowers, like McCarthy, is from Australia, with a background in Australian rules football.

Long snapper Mark Langston also completed his college career, so IU will turn elsewhere this year. Redshirt junior Sam Lindsey could get that job as the returnee, or IU could go with graduate student Drew Clausen after he transferred from Iowa State.

The return game will be anyone’s best guess. IU has plenty of guys who could seemingly fit in well in those roles, but it’s unclear who will be there. Tyler Morris has some punt return experience at Michigan, but given the injury he suffered last year, the Hoosiers could rightfully be hesitant to put him back there.