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Oklahoma’s special teams units were a major talking point during the 2023 season. From the kicking and return games to the coverage units, special teams were often a letdown for the Sooners.
The man charged with coordinating the special teams in an off-field role was Jay Nunez. According to a report from Parker Thune of OUInsider and Rivals, Nunez is leaving Oklahoma to join the Alabama Crimson Tide as special teams coordinator.
His short stint in Norman was marked with inconsistency and, at times, underwhelming performances from the special teams units.
Though we saw the emergence of punter Luke Elzinga, there was often curiosity as to why it took so long for him to take over punting duties. The kicking game struggled in a five-game stretch during the middle of the season, where Zach Schmit was just 5 of 11. That included the three-point loss to Oklahoma State, where he was 1 of 2.
The punt return game also became a bit of an adventure as Gavin Freeman struggled with his decision-making.
Source: #Sooners special teams analyst Jay Nunez is leaving Oklahoma to join the Alabama staff as special teams coordinator.
He’d left his role as assistant head coach at Eastern Michigan to join the OU staff in 2022. It’s not immediately clear who will replace him in Norman.
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) February 6, 2024
It’ll be interesting to see who takes over these duties moving forward. New defensive coordinator Zac Alley has experience coordinating special teams, but his focus will be on the defense and may not have a plate big enough to fit both units.
The Sooners will have to reorganize how they manage special teams on gameday as it’s been a position held by an off-field assistant in recent years.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/oklahoma-special-teams-analyst-jay-033542364.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2024-02-06 03:35:42
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