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Junior kicker Tabor Allen kicks the ball during the Kansas Football Spring Preview at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 9, 2022.

The battle for KU’s placekicker position is ongoing, with senior Tabor Allen, redshirt junior Owen Piepergerdes and redshirt sophomore Charlie Weinrich all in the mix.

Piepergerdes was on the field in a few games last year, kicking six PATs and one field goal attempt, and in 2022 he made one field goal and converted nine PATs. Allen, however, is the kicker with the most games played, having handled kickoffs in every game over the past three years.

Weinrich is the least known player in the competition, having seen no playing time in his first two years of college football. After redshirting his freshman year at Nebraska, Weinrich transferred to KU but did not play a game.

Although coach Lance Leipold did not announce a winner in the position battle on Tuesday’s media day, he did say that he was happy with how things went and that Allen and Weinrich were the two frontrunners for the job.

“We have three guys trying, but Tabor Allen remains more consistent,” Leipold said.

While Leipold said the job is largely between Allen and Weinrich, he praised Piepergerdes’ leg strength, which the team can utilize in certain situations, as it has done in the past. Leipold also said Allen will continue to serve as a kickoff specialist.

Although Leipold said he’s happy with where the position battle stands, he acknowledged the Jayhawks won’t know that area of ​​the team until the season begins. Kicking a long field goal in practice is one thing, but doing it on the road when the clock is running down and you need to get a much-needed win is quite another.

“You always worry about special teams early because it’s hard to simulate a lot of them live and early in the season,” Leipold said. “Sometimes you have to go to the games to see those situations.”

Regardless of the position battle, Weinrich said the special teams are well positioned and looking to get off to a fast start to the season. As for the competition he finds himself in, Weinrich is happy with the position he and his teammates are in.

“It’s been fun competing with Owen and Tabor,” Weinrich said. “Every day I wake up and try to get better. Lately I’ve been good, I’ve been hitting the ball really well. Hopefully I can carry that into the season and get off to a quick start.”

Part of the success of the kicking job will be thanks to Damon Greaves, the team’s Australian punter, who learned to save kicks earlier in the year. At media day on Tuesday, coach Lance Liepold said Greaves has done a good job of learning how to do that.

“He has developed into a very good defender in the last six months or so,” Leipold said.

The first few games will show Leipold and the coaching staff a lot about the special teams. With so little game experience, the group is hoping for a strong start to the season to carry the unit through the year.

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Written by David Rodish

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