Haney said:
I think this has to be the reason the punter transferred in AFD, I would have to believe Long will be asked to or will accept a medical disqualification-which frees up a spot. I am still not sure the new grad transfer punter gets a spot, AFD are we not at 85 right now? Not sure if that includes Walthour and Gibbs, as well as the ND grad transfer Hayes. I have been figuring Long would be a candidate to leave or get the medical DQ, I think Jake Carmada takes the punting job come fall camp-the kid can flat out boom the ball.
Haney, I agree. It seems that Long is tracking for a medical exemption.
As for UGA Football's 2018 scholarship #s, I have them at 84 (tally includes punter Marshall Long, former walk-on PK Rodrigo Blankenship who was placed on scholarship on 7 September 2017, inbound Notre Dame graduate transfer DE Jay Hayes, and inbound DT Tramel Walthour; however, it doesn't include WR Michael Chigbu who is reportedly considering quitting football due to injuries, nor does it include DB Deangelo Gibbs who didn't enroll for spring semester).
As for UGA's starting punter in 2018, it should be a battle between inbound Murray State graduate transfer Landon Stratton and Jake Camarda:
- Stratton (2015-'17): 213 punts for 8,785 yds (avg. 41.2 yds/punt)
- Camarda (2015-'17): 125 punts for 5,156 yds (avg. 41.2 yds/punt)
Whomever starts between them will have demonstrated a quicker release (to obviate blocked punts) and a better hang time to distance ratio (e.g., 4.5 seconds for a 45-yd punt compared to 3 seconds for a 45-yd punt) to allow special teams gunners (e.g., Prather Hudson, D'Andre Walker) to get down the field before the returner can get upfield.