CU Buffs position breakdown: Plenty of continuity among specialists heading into 2024 season

As preseason practices begin on Monday, our positional breakdowns of the Colorado roster come to a close.

After beginning with Shedeur Sanders and the quarterbacks in early June, we wrap things up with the group of specialists in the final week of July.

It’s a room full of familiar faces with plenty still to prove this fall.

Let’s take a look at what to expect from the place kicking, punting and kick returning positions in 2024:

Kicker

The duo of Alejandro Mata and Jace Feely is back and the two will likely be battling for the starting spot in fall camp.

Feely appeared to get the first shot to keep the job during the season, but went 1-for-2 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points in the opener at TCU. He went 3-for-3 in the Week 2 win over Nebraska, but missed his only attempt against Colorado State and Mata wound up being the go-to guy by the end of that game.

Deion Sanders has consistently talked about his trust with Mata as he transferred from Jackson State to CU with coach Sanders and that transferred over into Mata being the team’s top kicker for the final nine games of the season.

The Buford, Georgia native finished the season 10-for-12 on field goals and 26-for-27 on extra points, with both of his field goal misses coming from 40 yards or longer. His longest kick of the year came from 47 yards out in the season finale at Utah, but his biggest kick came at Arizona State when he nailed the game-winning, 43-yard attempt in the final seconds.

Mata has to be considered the favorite heading into fall camp, but Feely still has the stronger leg and with more accuracy could work his way back into a bigger role this season.

Punter

There’s no doubts who will be punting the ball for the Buffs as senior Mark Vassett is back for his final year of eligibility and even joined Deion, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders at Big 12 media days earlier this month, getting the chance to show the national media his personality that everyone in Boulder has seen for over a year now.

Vassett was all-Pac-12 last season after punting the ball 65 times for an average of 44.5 yards per kick with 22 inside the 20-yard line and only three touchbacks.

The Buffs hope he sees less of the field this season as the result of a more dynamic offense that finishes drives in the end zone and not with punts, but Vassett will still play a vital role as the team’s holder.

Returner

CU will likely have a new punt returner this fall.

After a few different players handled duties at times in 2023, the Buffs have added one of the nations most dynamic returners this offseason in Florida Atlantic transfer LaJohntay Wester, who was named an All-American last season by the FWAA after returning 14 punts for 278 yards and a touchdown.

He should get every chance to lock down that spot over the next few weeks and he could even be in line to return kickoffs, although that’s not as important for a team that plays over half of its games at altitude this season.

Wester has regularly returned kickoffs since his freshman season in 2020, but could be lined up deep alongside Jimmy Horn Jr., who led the team in kickoff returns and yardage last season.