Although the discipline itself requires technical precision, there’s little subtlety when it comes to placekicking.
Either you make it, or you don’t.
Lucas Havrisik simply wasn’t making enough kicks for the Arizona Wildcats last season. As a result, he lost his job as the primary placekicker.
Havrisik handled the demotion like the pro he aspires to become someday.
“I wasn’t performing,” Havrisik said this week. “I took it as a job. I lost it. It was my fault. But I kept working. I didn’t really pout about it.”
Havrisik’s approach to his demotion was evident in two ways. He remained Arizona’s kickoff specialist and continued to pound the ball into the end zone. (Havrisik finished second in the Pac-12 and ninth among FBS kickers with a touchback rate of 81.1%).
Additionally, when he got another chance, Havrisik delivered.
After not attempting a field goal in a game in more than a month, Havrisik was summoned for a pair of long-distance tries in the first half against Colorado. He drilled them both, from 49 and 55 yards, in a game Arizona won by eight points.
Those were the last field goals Havrisik attempted last season. He finished the year having made 6 of 11 tries.
“Those were big for him,” UA special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer said. “It got his confidence back up. I think that really carried over into the offseason, into now.”
Havrisik has performed well this offseason, solidifying his place as Arizona’s primary placekicker. Josh Pollack, who took over for Havrisik in midseason, has graduated. Freshman walk-on Nathan Halsell is competing with Havrisik, and Springer stressed that no jobs have been locked down at this point. But the gig is Havrisik’s to lose, and Springer likes what he has seen so far from the strong-legged junior.
First, the physical:
“I can’t say enough good words about him from an off-the-field standpoint, treating his body like a professional.”
And then, the mental:
“He’s got those five, six games (under) his belt where he played last year — and got benched. It’s really made him mature. I think going through that, going through those ups and those downs, has really made him realize ‘hey, man, the mental game here is a big part of it.’”
Havrisik said he never lost confidence in himself, despite missing five of his first nine field goal attempts and a pair of extra points. He also didn’t unearth any major technical flaws, aside from “a little different skip in the way I finished.”
“In summer camp last year, I was probably kicking the best of my life,” Havrisik said. “To go into the season and not perform like I should, I was just kind of disappointed in myself.
“Going into Colorado, I was like, ‘Just do your normal thing. If you can bang them in practice, you can do it in the game.’ ”
Havrisik has worked on becoming more consistent. He has an NFL-caliber leg. But it doesn’t matter much if the ball doesn’t split the uprights.
Havrisik learned that the hard way last season — an experience that probably will benefit him in the long run.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” Havrisik said. “It’s not always a smooth road as a kicker. You get your shots, and you’ve gotta make the most out of them.”
Aragon’s ascent
Punter Matt Aragon’s spot with the first team isn’t as secure as Havrisik’s, but the Cienega High School product appears to be the early leader.
Springer described Aragon’s development as a punter as a “zero to 100” improvement over the last year or so.
“He’s got his head on straight as a senior,” Springer said. “No one’s won the job yet. But he knows right now it’s his last (opportunity). He wants to make a name for himself. So that’s the extra motivation there.”
Aragon is entering his final season but has appeared in only one game as a Wildcat, punting three times at Washington State in 2016. He also worked at wide receiver, mainly on the scout team.
It wasn’t until this past spring, when he was the only punter on the roster, that Aragon focused all his attention on punting. He always had the athleticism and physique (6-5, 213) to excel in the role. Now, Springer said, Aragon is “getting all the technique stuff down.”
Graduate transfer Dylan Klumph handled the punting duties last season. Springer brought in a pair of freshmen, Kyle Ostendorp and Cameron Weinberg, to compete with Aragon this summer.
The job will go to the player who’s most consistent in all areas, including placement and hangtime. How much has Aragon progressed in those areas?
“It’s night and day for him, honestly,” Springer said. “He’s gotten that much better in the (past) year.”
‘It’s good to represent’
Havrisik briefly went viral earlier this year when he tweeted a video that showed him whipping long snappers Donald Reiter and Geno Albini in the “beat the vice” drill. Havrisik explained the story behind the clip, which he since has removed from his feed.
“Springer said, ‘I might throw you guys in there, so be ready,’ ” Havrisik said. “I love competition. Donald and them were like, ‘You’re not getting past us.’
“If they … touched me, I would have been done — you know, heavy dudes against a 185 guy. I was like, ‘I’m just gonna beat them (with) speed.’ Made a little juke and took off. They deserved it, because they were talking smack.
“I was kind of shocked that it got that much attention, but it’s always funny seeing a kicker because ‘kickers are unathletic.’ It’s good to represent for some kickers.”
Extra points
- The Wildcats worked out in full pads for the first time and shifted practice to Arizona Stadium. They scrimmaged over the second half of the workout.
- Cornerback Alphonse Oywak of Kent, Washington, verbally committed to Arizona on Wednesday. The three-star recruit held offers from Air Force, Nevada, Oregon State and Utah State.
- Five players returned punts during the open portion of practice: Jamarye Joiner, Stanley Berryhill III, Bam Smith, Christian Roland-Wallace and Brian Casteel. Casteel was a full participant in practice after being limited Tuesday.
- Tailback Nathan Tilford got some premium looks during team drills.
- Justin Belknap worked with the first team at defensive end.
- Standouts from one-on-ones included three newcomers: receivers Boobie Curry, Jalen Johnson and Tayvian Cunningham.
- Visitors to practice included three-star defensive end Regen Terry from Florence High School; QB Treyson Bourguet from Salpointe Catholic; and tailback Stevie Rocker from Canyon del Oro.
- A scout from the Atlanta Falcons attended practice.
