Nebraska Football certainly has a special kicker on their hands.
Heading into the 2019 season, there is one position that hasn’t really been talked about for Nebraska Football. It is perhaps one of the most important, yet overlooked positions on the field. The kicker may not see every single snap on offense, but just as any offensive position, he can make the difference between winning and losing. After what was a solid season last year, Barret Pickering is looking to build off what he started.
As a freshman last year, he was a solid kicker. He made 77.8% of his field goal attempts, which breaks down to 14-of-18. He was perfect from 1 to 20 yards out, and was six-of-seven from 32 to 39 yards out. Once he got to 40 yards and beyond, things started to get a little dicey. He was two-of-four in field goals ranging from 40 to 49 yards. In terms of field goals from 50 yards out or more, he missed his only attempt.
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With 47 yards being his longest field goal on the season, that was still a respectable number. He was pretty much money when it came to extra point attempts. Going 40-of-41 on the year, he accumulated 82 points in total. Pickering had the best game of his career on November 10 against Illinois. In what was a 54-35 win, he made his lone field goal of the contest and went seven-of-seven on extra points. It was just another tremendous game in what was a great season for him.
He recorded at least nine points in four games, including back-to-back nine-point outings on October 20 and 27th. He showed that Nebraska Football has a kicker that can provide stability at the position. I know it may seem a little silly saying that the kicker position needs stability. However, it is a lot harder finding a competent kicker than one may think. Nebraska Football certainly has one here.
What could we expect from him this season? I wouldn’t be surprised if he has at least 90 points. This offense should be able to function at a high level. That equals more opportunities for the kicker. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the offense has a chance to get into the red zone every time they touch the football. That is the type of talent we are dealing with here. I’ll say that Pickering will have at least 92 points. This is a team that has a high-functioning offense, and Pickering will certainly be able to benefit from that.
For Barret Pickering, the sky is the limit for 2019. After an impressive freshman the year, he showed he has what it takes to keep his job for the entirety of his Nebraska Football career.