David Scully has a pretty clear picture of what the future of Georgia Tech’s kicking game looks like. He has competed against it every day in preseason camp: Harrison Butker.
“I’m looking forward to watching him, especially down the road coming back as an alumni,” the Tech kicker said. “But I’m going to do what I can to keep him off the field this year.”
Scully and Butker, a highly-touted recruit, are in one of the most competitive battles of the Yellow Jackets’ preseason, precisely measured by special teams coordinator Dave Walkosky. As of Monday, Butker led for both the kickoff and placekicking jobs, Walkosky said.
The competition, though, has yet to be decided and both players are ramping up. Scully said that, after reviewing video earlier in camp, he has started to perform better. He got a big confidence boost when he made both of his field goal tries in Saturday’s scrimmage, from 23 and 32 yards.
“He’s hitting the ball well right now,” Walkosky said.
Butker is quickening his approach to the ball on placekicks, one area Walkosky wants him to improve. He was just short on his one field-goal try in the scrimmage, that one from 54 yards.
“He’s doing a real good job,” Walkosky said.
Walkosky would love for one or the other to win the job and leave no doubt, but conceded he could end up playing both. A situation where Scully wins and allows Butker to redshirt this season and play four years starting in 2014 means little to him.
“If he’s the best, he’s playing,” Walkosky said of Butker. “Without question.”
Last year, Scully won the job in preseason camp and made his first two attempts of the season. But was 2-for-6 the rest of the season and lost his spot to Chris Tanner, though Scully continued to handle kickoffs. He was impeded by a small ligament tear in his hip that hampered his leg swing. He is now in good health.
“It’s a lot easier mentally to kind of get through and not have to worry about, is it going to hurt this time, or is it not going to hurt this time?” said Scully, a microbiology major who helped a professor this summer with RNA research.
Scully said he has enjoyed the competition and getting pushed by Butker. Given the Jackets’ struggles in recent years finding a consistent kickoff and placekicker — Tech was 11th in the ACC last year in kickoff coverage and 10th in field-goal percentage — the Westminster grad was one of the most anticipated members of the Tech 2013 signing class as ESPN’s No. 3 kicker in the country.
“Harrison’s a great kicker, great kid,” Scully said.
He appears equal to the build-up.
“He can blast the (heck) out of it on kickoff,” Scully said. “He’s got all the tools that he needs to develop into a great kicker.”
As a true freshman who has yet to appear in a game, Butker is not available to media, per team policy.
Walkosky is also presiding over a competition at punter, which as of Monday, was led by Sean Poole. The race between Poole and Ryan Rodwell is going back and forth, Walkosky said. Last season, Poole won the job in camp, surrendered it to Poole after suffering a shoulder injury in the Miami game, and then got it back at the end of the season. Both averaged 39.7 yards per punt.
“A lot of competition right now, which is real exciting,” Walkosky said. “It’s not just competition, it’s good competition.”
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