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RCRuiting Analysis: Special Teams

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, we will be breaking down the pieces that made this signing class arguably the best Ole Miss signing class in school history. We'll throw in highlight videos whenever we can find them and will try to examine what we see with our biased, untrained eyes. With media and sports fans all over the country talking about Ole Miss recruits, it is our hope to generate some discussion about those recruits who didn't have four or five stars next to their names. Today, in our final installment, we look at our newly signed kicker.

By The Ghost of Jay Cutler
US PRESSWIRE

Andy Pappanastos - 2* - 5'11" 180 - Other Notable Offers: I mean, he's a kicker. They're not really offered scholarships anymore, are they?

Aside from Q-Ricky Mireles and Nick Brassell, who could see significant time in the return game, the Ole Miss Rebels only added kicker Andy Pappanastos to the team this year in a true special teams role. And by "this year" I mean "technically last year, but he was only a part time student this last year and therefore not on scholarship nor using up any NCAA eligibility, or at least that's how I think the whole 'grayshirting' thing works." Now he is signed and a part of the team starting now, and in looking at his highlight video he seems to be more than capable of becoming a reliable SEC placekicker.

Take it for what it's worth, in that it's a video "loaded" with highlights of made field goals, but it does show that he's both reliable and powerful. He regularly makes field goals from 30-45 yards out without making it look difficult at all. He was reliable enough, in fact, to set the Alabama high school career record for field goals made with 48, which was just two field goals shy of the national high school record.

Other than that, how does one scout a kicker exactly? "He has a functioning leg capable of striking a resting object and projecting said object in a particular direction and over a particular distance?" Because that sounds about right to me.

So where does Andy Pop'n'LochNessMonster fit into our special teams lineup? I'm thinking that Papageorgio will handle field goal duties this season to replace the departing Bryson Rose, while Andrew Ritter continues to serve as a kickoff specialist. Of course, I have literally no idea which way the coaches are leaning on this, so don't be surprised to see the damn paterfamilias is kicking off and handling longer field goals in lieu of Ritter.

The point is that he's good and should contribute right away if needed. He also has a funny last name.