As the 2019 season draws nearer by the day, it’s time to start taking a look at some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the punters, a group that might not get the attention but will play key roles in helping determine the league standings in 2019.
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1. Will Hart, Michigan
There might not be a better punter in all of college football than Michigan's Hart.
The 2018 Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year and a consensus first-team all-conference selection last season, Hart was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, given to the top punter in the country.
The senior led the league with a punting average of 47.0 yards, including a 51.7-yard career average as a starter. Hart also owns UM's single-game record (minimum three attempts) at 59.3 yards per kick, set last year vs. Nebraska.
2. Drue Chrisman, Ohio State
While Hart may have earned more accolades, there are some who feel Chrisman is just as good, if not the best in the Big Ten, heading into 2019.
His career average of 43.7 yards per punt ranks fifth in school history, and he keyed the Buckeyes to lead the conference and place sixth nationally in net punting (41.6) last season.
Chrisman was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten pick behind Hart a year ago, and now he enters his junior campaign as a preseason first-team all-league selection by Athlon.
3. Adam Korsak, Rutgers
As far as overall production is concerned, few punters in the nation did more than Korsak.
Because of Rutgers' inept offense, Korsak punted a whopping 78 times last season, 11 more attempts than any other punter in the Big Ten. Not only did that total rank third in school history, he averaged 42.7 yards per kick, which was fourth in the conference.
Korsak also broke the Rutgers' all-time record with a 79-yard bomb, the longest punt in the league in 2019. He was only an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, but he should be in line for another heavy workload as a junior in 2019.
4. Blake Gillikin, Penn State
Gillikin enters his senior season as arguably the best punter in Penn State history, as his 43.3 career average tops the school's all-time chart.
He's also the only Nittany Lion with six punts of more than 65 yards and three over 70, and his 44.0-yard average last year was the highest single-season mark ever at PSU.
Gilliken didn't earn any conference honors in 2018, but assuming he has another strong final season in State College, his place in the Penn State record books will speak for itself.
5. Blake Hayes, Illinois
While 2018 was an up-and-mostly-down year for Illinois, Hayes was pretty much a model of consistency.
He ranked third in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally with a 43.6-yard average, downing 21 of his 62 punts inside opponents' 20-yard line. Now a junior, Hayes' career average of 42.7 is second all-time at Illinois.
Hayes was named third-team all-conference by the league's media and an honorable mention selection by the coaches, and Athlon has him as a fourth-team preseason All-Big Ten pick heading into 2019.
