Latest news with #PatrickMannellyAward
USA Today
06-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners specialist named to Patrick Mannelly Award preseason watch list
Long snapper love 🫡Anderson » Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List🏆 One position on a football team that often gets overlooked is long-snapper. Usually, fans only recognize them if they mess up, causing a turnover or a bad kick. That goes for most of the other special teams positions as well. But, while the Oklahoma Sooners saw their likely starting punter and kicker get some positive preseason recognition last week, it was the starting long-snapper's turn on Tuesday. Redshirt junior long-snapper Ben Anderson was named to the preseason watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award this week. The award is given out each year to the best long-snapper in college football. It's not the first preseason recognition Anderson has seen, as he was also selected for the preseason SEC all-conference third team last month. Anderson was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award last year and was also third team All-SEC in 2024. He is a former five-star long-snapping recruit out of high school, and he has been excellent during his time in Norman. Anderson has played for the Sooners since 2022. He redshirted that season, but took over as the starting long-snapper in 2023, and enters his third season as the starter this year. He's one of a small number of returning special teams players for Oklahoma this year, and has seen that unit rebuilt around him this offseason. Aside from Anderson and his backup at long-snapper, true freshman Seth Freeman, the Sooners carry one punter (Jacob Ulrich), four kickers (Tate Sandell, Austin Welch, Liam Evans, and Preston Tarpley), and one player who can play both kicker and punter, in Central Oklahoma transfer Grayson Miller. The Sooners were much better on special teams in 2024 than they were in 2023. As coordinator Doug Deakin enters his second year in charge of that unit, hoping to improve again, he'll be leaning on his longest-tenured player in the room to continue to go unnoticed in one of football's most overlooked roles. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
USA Today
05-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida's long snapper Rocco Underwood named to 2025 Patrick Mannelly Award watch list
The 2025 Patrick Mannelly Award watch list was recently released and included Florida football longsnapper Rocco Underwood, who earned the honor last season after a superb campaign. The rising redshirt senior originally from Lake Mary, Florida, will have the opportunity to repeat the honor in 2025 following an effort that also resulted in All-SEC recognition, as well as being named a Phil Steele First-Team All-American and AFCA Second-Team All-American. He has also made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll thrice in his career, along with a SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll mention. Underwood has tallied a total of 314 special teams snaps over his four-season career in Gainesville, during which he made seven total tackles on special teams. Of those snaps, 103 of them came last fall when the special-teamer made significant improvements in his game across the board, amassing 56 successful punt coverages as well as 57 successful field goal and extra point attempts during that campaign. He notched his single-season career-high of three tackles in 2024, also notching his lone credited fumble recovery against the Florida State Seminoles. About the Patrick Mannelly Award The Patrick Mannelly Award was first issued in 2019 and is given to the best long snapper in college football. Named after Patrick Mannelly, who played as the long snapper for Duke University from 1993 to 1997 and was the long snapper for the Chicago Bears from 1998 to 2013. During his time in the NFL, Mannelly never recorded a bad snap and was credited with playing a pivotal role in the success of the kickers he played with. The award benefits Bernie's Book Bank, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to help children develop their reading skills by providing free books to help build their home libraries in the local Lake Buff, Illinois, area. The 30-man watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists on Nov. 17, with the three finalists being announced on Dec. 1 and the winner being selected on Dec. 13. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Four Gators named Phil Steele Preseason All-Americans
Four Gators named Phil Steele Preseason All-Americans Four Florida Gators made the Phil Steele Preseason All-America team this year, according to 247Sports, but none of those names are DJ Lagway. Jake Slaughter headlines the list as an AP All-American at the close of the 2024 season; however, Steele has him on his Second Team. The only First Team member from Florida this year is long snapper Rocco Underwood, who claimed the Patrick Mannelly Award last season as the best at his position. Defensive lineman Caleb Banks is on the Third Team after a strong finish to the 2024 campaign. He had the chance to enter the NFL draft but opted to stay with the Gators for another season. Looking to improve his draft stock, Banks could be among the best linemen in the SEC this season. He had 12 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery over 10 starts last year. Redshirt sophomore Eugene Wilson III is a somewhat surprising addition to the Fourth Team from Steele. Wilson was among the better freshmen receivers two years ago, but injuries slowed him down and forced a redshirt last year. Steele is assuming a return to form from Wilson with DJ Lagway throwing the ball to him. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bengals' Zac Taylor reveals surprise roster battle for training camp
Bengals' Zac Taylor reveals surprise roster battle for training camp Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor isn't kidding when he says the team will host competitions at every position this summer during training camp. Case in point, Taylor made it clear during rookie minicamp that even the long-snapper spot is up for grabs after the arrival of undrafted free agent William Wagner. According to Geoff Hobson of Taylor says that Wagner will have a chance to push Cal Adomitis for that starting spot. RELATED: Bengals, Trey Hendrickson contract saga gets another update A finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award last year as the top player in the sport at his position, Wagner comes from the Michigan Wolverines and will get to rep alongside Adomitis. This is a little unexpected for the Bengals, especially considering Clark Harris held down the position for so long from 2009-2022. Notably, the Bengals had procedural issues on special teams before Evan McPherson's injury last year, so while this isn't as headline-grabbing as other positional battles, it's certainly notable for a team that needs to get right across all three phases. RELATED: Bengals' Trey Hendrickson, Germaine Pratt standoffs updated
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dolphins waive rookie long snapper after only 2 practices
Dolphins waive rookie long snapper after only 2 practices The Miami Dolphins waived rookie long snapper Kneeland Hibbett after only two practices, the team announced Saturday. Hibbett was one of 16 undrafted rookies who signed with the Dolphins on Friday. Following the team's decision to part with veteran Blake Ferguson, Hibbett was briefly the only long snapper on the Dolphins' roster. But later Friday, the team announced that veteran long snapper Joe Cardona, who spent the last 10 seasons with the New England Patriots, was added to the roster. The Dolphins also brought in undrafted rookie Jacob Garcia on a three-day tryout contract. It's unclear for now if the decision to part with Hibbett is a reflection of Garcia's performance in the first couple days of rookie minicamp. The long snapper position proved to be a revolving door for the Dolphins in 2024 after Ferguson landed on the non-football illness list early in the year. For the remainder of the season, the Dolphins signed veteran long snappers to their practice squad and elevated them to the active roster on a weekly basis. Tucker Addington, Jake McQuaide, Matt Overton, and Zach Triner each played three games as the Dolphins' long snapper. Hibbett spent the last four seasons as the long snapper for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In 2024, he was one of 10 semifinalists for the Patrick Mannelly Award, recognizing the top long snapper in college football.
