kick returners

[SisyphusMiner]

Anyone know why Barnes and Garrett are our kick returners?  It seems like you would want your most dynamic players doing that.  Quick, shifty, good hands, good head.  These two guys aren't the top at their own primary position.  Seems to me Cowing, Flores, Awatt, Ingyang would be better choices?  Or are there reasons I'm missing?

Related, do you think that Dimel views special teams as not all that important?  If so, has he learned otherwise this season?  A better return game, and slightly better kickers might have won us two more games.

[SisyphusMiner]

I spent a few minutes trying to look up high school track times for some of our players.  I really didn't find as much as I thought I might.  And there were a variety of events, so not all comparable.

Here's what was comparable (best times)

Cowing ran the 100 in 10.7 and the 200 was 21.63
Hankins ran 11.16 in the 100, and also did long jump and triple jump
Barnes ran 25.03 200 and 16.46 in the 110 hurdles.
Awatt did triple jump and long jump.  About same as Hankins in long jump, and 7 feet farther in triple
Eldridge -- 100m  11.65

Couldn't find Inyang or Flores

Cowing substantially faster than Barnes.  4 second delta in 200 is ~2 second delta in 100 and this is enormous.
Hankins has put on a lot of weight since high school -- sure it's muscle but may not be quite as fast.  Cowing and Barnes look really lean.

[Minermojo]

Honestly, I would hate for Cowing to play as kick returner. He's too valuable for us to lose him to injury. He's the only one of the receivers where you're almost guaranteed a catch. Kick returners are a dime a dozen and all you have to do is go out and find one. It could be the next freshman out of high school. Garrett for sure is not the one, he's afraid of dropping the ball so close to the rival's goal line and I don't blame him. If I played football that's the last position I would want to play...having eleven guys out to get you to fumble of maim.

But, I'm 100% in agreement we do need a punt returner...NOW!

[SisyphusMiner]

Understand where you're coming from, but that didn't stop us from having Johnnie Lee Higgins return kicks

[zyxwvutsru]

Jailbreak Screen!!!!

[kyyote]

I agree that Cowing is too precious as our receiver. I believe when JLH was doing it there were lots of others to catch the ball. But I do remember that Quinten Demps handled punts or kickoffs quite well. Seems to me that that was what we used to a lot.
I agree with Mojo that the returners have to have brass nuts, but they also have to have good sense and that insane understanding that the ball is so precious that would do not ever fumble it.  Muffs can happen but better not, fumbles can't.