Now on scholarship, Texas Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn draws praise from coach

Texas special teams coordinator Jeff Banks will be the first to admit he’s got to find some answers as summer workouts begin .

Can prized freshman Michael Kern, the rare scholarship punter, seize the starting job after enrolling in school this summer? Will transfer receivers Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden handle kick return duties? And who will replace Keilan Robinson and Kitan Crawford, arguably the best gunner tandem in kick coverage in recent history for the Longhorns?

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But when Banks was asked Tuesday about returning senior kicker Bert Auburn, the coach broke into a big grin and shook his head. That’s one question he doesn’t need to answer.

“I mean, the guy just keeps breaking records,” said Banks, who doubles as Texas’ tight ends coach. “He's great for our specialists room. He's a great worker. He's a great leader. He's humble. And he's going to help those young punters; he already has.”

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About those records. Last season Auburn set a program and Big 12 record with 19 consecutive made field goals. He also set the school’s single-season mark with 29 made field goals while scoring 143 points, the most ever for a Texas kicker.

Earlier this summer, head coach Steve Sarkisian rewarded that special season by doling out a scholarship to Auburn, a former walk-on from the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound. Auburn joins Kern, junior kickoff specialist Will Stone and junior deep snapper Lance St. Louis as specialists on scholarship.

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Auburn has certainly earned that scholarship, Banks said.

“He coaches himself,” Banks said. “I mean, I'll coach him and correct them. And that's fine, but he'll look back at me, and he'll already be hard on harder on himself than I am. The guy is just super, super consistent. He is awesome to coach. We feel like we have two big-time Power Five kickers, and we're really excited about that position.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Now on scholarship, Texas Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn draws praise from coach