2025 Louisville Football Preview: Special Teams

Louisville football begins its 2025 season on August 30th against Eastern Kentucky, so it’s time for an in-depth look at the roster.

We begin by looking at the entire special teams group, which will include kicker, punter, long snapper, and both returner spots. We’ll also include recaps from last year’s position groups within the breakdown.

Below is our schedule for the other position groups:

• Offensive line (released July 28th: link)
• Defensive line (released August 4th: link)
• Secondary (released August 11th: link)
• Linebackers (released August 15th: link)
• Receiver group (WR / TE) (released August 18th: link)
• Running backs / fullbacks (released August 22nd: link)
• Quarterbacks (releasing August 25th)

Last Year’s Results

Brock Travelstead made 18-of-25 field goals, including a school-record 56-yard field goal against Notre Dame, and all 58 extra point attempts. Nick Keller and Cooper Ranvier also made their only extra point attempts last season, both coming in the season opener against Austin Peay. Travelstead and Keller handled kickoff duties, with Keller having touchbacks on 71% of his kickoffs (T-30th in the FBS). Louisville’s 58.2% touchback rate was tied for 58th in the FBS last season.

Brady Hodges served as the primary punter for every game except the Sun Bowl, averaging 39.3 yards per punt. Carter Schwartz played in ten games and averaged 41.7 yards per punt. Louisville’s 40.3 yards per punt ranked 114th in the FBS, fourth-lowest among Power Four schools (only North Carolina, LSU, and Boston College ranked lower).

Flipping to Louisville’s return game, the Cardinals only averaged 5.62 yards per punt return, ranking 102nd in the FBS. They also averaged 20.25 yards per kickoff return (68th in the FBS), with Caullin Lacy having a kickoff return touchdown against Miami (FL).

Perhaps Louisville’s biggest calling card on special teams last year, though, was their ability to block kicks and punts. The Cardinals had six blocks last year, which tied with Notre Dame for first in FBS. Counting a blocked punt in 2023, Louisville has had seven blocks in the Jeff Brohm era.

Position Breakdown: Kicker

Louisville enters 2025 needing both a new kicker and a punter. Brock Travelstead leaves after five seasons with the Cardinals, making 35-of-49 field goals in his career. A.J. Vinatieri also entered the transfer portal, leaving the battle for the starting job down to Nick Keller, Cooper Ranvier, and Carson Hilbert.

Keller has the most collegiate experience on the team, albeit still very brief in the grand scheme of things. His high touchback rate from last year could see him return as a kickoff specialist for 2025, but the starting kicker job is more open.

As mentioned, both Keller and Ranvier both made their only extra point attempts last season. In the spring game, Keller missed a PAT, but both Keller and Ranvier made two field goals in the spring game.

Carson Hilbert is the newcomer among the three, arriving at Louisville this season after playing at Trinity High School. Hilbert is a second-generation Louisville player, with his father (Jon) playing for the Cardinals in the late ’90s. He made 47-of-48 extra point attempts last season for the Shamrocks, as well as 12-of-14 field goals. He also has punting experience, so it’s possible that he can be listed on the depth chart as a backup punter if needed.

Projected Starters: Nick Keller (kickoff specialist); Cooper Ranvier (placekicker)

Position Breakdown: Punter

Brady Hodges also will not return in 2025, but Carter Schwartz does for Louisville.

Given Schwartz’s performance in both the Sun Bowl and the spring game, it’s likely that he’s going to have the starting punter job for 2025. He downed multiple punts in the bowl game inside the five yard line, and all but one landed inside the 20. More performances like the ones from the Sun Bowl and the spring game would lead to Louisville being even better as a special teams unit, and possibly be the difference between a good and a great season for the Cardinals.

Projected Starter: Carter Schwartz

Position Breakdown: Long Snapper

Both Shai Kochav and Hayden Travelstead return as long snappers for Louisville, and expect Kochav to return as the starter here. He’s played in 41 career games and has been very consistent as a long snapper for the Cardinals.

Projected Starter: Shai Kochav

Position Breakdown: Returners

Now we head to the return game. Louisville had guys rotating in and out of returner roles last year, but with the return of Caullin Lacy and addition of Akron wide receiver Bobby Golden in the transfer portal, the hope is that those spots see some stability and consistency in 2025.

Lacy could see some action as a returner on both kickoffs and punts. He has two special teams touchdowns in his collegiate career, including a punt return at South Alabama in 2022, and a kick return at Louisville last year.

Golden also has extensive experience as a returner in his three seasons with the Zips, averaging 18.5 yards per kickoff return in his time there. He also has reps as a punt returner, averaging 5.9 yards per punt return at Akron. If they opt to have Lacy off returns to keep him fresh, Golden should be a lock to have both returner spots in 2025.

Projected Starters: Caullin Lacy OR Bobby Golden (both return spots)