Football Season Preview: Special Teams
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With the Bryant University football season just over a week away, Bryant Athletics takes a look at the specialists in its final installment leading up to opening kickoff on September 5.
Bryant Athletics will breakdown the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends, linemen, linebackers, defensive backs and specialists.
Special Teams
The Bulldogs have developed one of the top special teams units in the country over the past three years and that should be the case once again in 2015. Last year, the Bulldogs finished fourth in the country in punt return defense (2.75), sixth in kickoff return average (24.31).
Bryant's kick return game should once again be one of the best in the country and will feature seniors Ricardo McCray (Middletown, R.I.) and Jose Depadua (Frederick, Md.). The two teamed up to form one of the most feared return tandems in the country a year ago. McCray ended the year second in the country with an average of 32.5 yards per return, while Depadua finished 25th in the country with an average of 24.3. Depadua has also returned one kick for a touchdown in his career, going 100 yards in a game against Sacred Heart in 2013.
The Black and Gold's return game will also feature senior Chad Ward (Delray Beach, Fla.) and sophomore Matt Sewall (Portsmouth, R.I.). Ward returns as Bryant's punt returner after fielding 23 punts and averaging 5.2 yards per return last season. An explosive athlete, Sewall will also see time as a punt returner and in kickoffs and has the chance to make a game-changing play every time he touches the ball.
In the kicking game, Bryant will have a veteran group leading the way. Senior Dom Kozlowski (Westford, Mass.) heads into his final year in Smithfield and could be Bryant's place kicker, punter and kickoff man. He enjoyed a stellar rookie season in 2012, leading the NEC with 18 touchbacks but has been hampered by injuries the last two years. Kozlowski appeared in the final eight games last season and averaged 56.1 yards per kickoff. As a freshman he went 4-for-13 in field goals with a long of 48 and also hit 31-of-33 extra points.
Also in the mix will be juniors Drew Chretien (Coventry, R.I.), Ricky Perez (Miami, Fla.) and Alex Malhas (Babylon, N.Y.). Chretien is the only one of the three with playing experience, punting twice against Merrimack last season. Perez missed last season after transferring from the University of Miami, while Malhas has yet to appear in a game over his first two years.
As for the kick coverage, the Bulldogs return their top four kick return tacklers from a year ago. Junior Raamah Vaughn (Fort Washington, Md.) and senior Ryan Ferguson (Silver Spring, Md.) both finished with 11 special teams tackles, while juniors Taylor Barthelette (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Charles Keenan (Tyngsborough, Mass.) posted nine and eight, respectively.