Ryan Shoemaker has a battle on his hands. He knows it and says he’s ready for it. Special teams coach Eddie Gran says he’d better be.
Shoemaker, a third-year sophomore, averaged 42.4 yards on 49 punts last season. He missed the better part of three games after suffering a shoulder injury in the opener against Kansas State. The numbers were good, but Shoemaker wasn’t consistent enough to suit his coach, and in the spring, redshirt freshman Clinton Durst made a big push.
“It was about as close as you can get in the spring,” Gran says. “Statistically, it was really 1-1 at the end. Ryan has the edge right now because his been there.”
But that edge, Gran says, is razor thin.
“We can’t go through another season with inconsistency,” Gran says. “We’re just not going to do it anymore. It’s just like running backs. Mario Fannin didn’t play because he didn’t consistently hang on to the football. He’s a great player and should have been playing every snap, but he was inconsistent. It’s the same thing with a punter.”
Shoemaker says he understands. He recognizes consistency was a problem. He’s ready for the race to begin when preseason practice starts on Aug. 2.
“There’s competition everywhere,” Shoemaker said. “There are going to be new guys coming in, other guys pushing for your job all the time. You just have to keep you head on a swivel and do what you have to do.”
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PUNTERS
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Depth
chart: 1. Ryan Shoemaker (6-0, 192, So.). 2. Clinton Durst (6-2, 184,
RFr.). 3. Patrick Tatum (6-2, 213, So.)
Position
coach: Eddie Gran.
Notes of interest: Shoemaker had 16 punts
downed inside the 20 last season … Just three of his punts went for
touchbacks … Byrum was an All-State selection as a senior at Oak Mountain
High School in 2005 and was redshirted in 2006
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Durst isn’t the only one pushing Shoemaker. Patrick Tatum, who performed well when Shoemaker was injured, remains in the race, too.
“I think Tatum will push him now, knowing his competitive nature,” Gran said. “I think it is going to be an unbelievable battle.”
Shoemaker says the experience of having felt the pressure of big moments in big games will serve him well.
“It’s huge,” Shoemaker said. “Having that year of competition, it was really good experience for me. Being a veteran, it is going to be a lot easier.”
Even for punters and kickers, there has been nothing easy about this summer. Strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall has put players through workouts that all agree have been the toughest in their time at Auburn. Shoemaker says he is better for it.
“I think I have gotten better with the conditioning and all that stuff, getting stronger in the weightroom,” Shoemaker said. “We’ve been getting the guys together and kicking. We’ve worked extra hard this summer, harder than we ever have.”
And then there is that consistency thing.
“That’s definitely been an issue,” Shoemaker said. “That’s one thing we’ve all been working on a lot.”
