Just in case anyone needed a reminder, new LSU specialty teams coordinator Brian Polian used his 20-minute Wednesday media session to put the Tigers' recent placekicking history in perspective.

“It's really important that we all understand LSU fans as it relates to kicker like, 'You've been spoiled, like you know that, right?” Polian said. “The last two guys have been unbelievable.”

Polian was referring to LSU placekickers Cole Tracy (2018) and Cade York (2019 to 2021). In that four-year period, Tracy (29 of 33 field goals) and Cade York (54 of 66) combined to hit 83 of 99 field goals for an SEC-leading 83.8 percent accuracy.

Tracy, who was a graduate transfer from Assumption College, holds four LSU records including most field goals in a season. He scored 40 percent or more of the Tigers’ points in five of LSU’s 13 games in a 10-3 season.

York, who was a fourth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in April’s NFL draft, has five school records including his astounding feat of accounting for 15 of LSU’s 36 all-time 50 yards or longer field goals. He kicked four of the top seven longest field goals in Tigers’ history topped by his game-winning 57-yarder at Florida in 2020 through the fog.

“If anybody's got the expectation that, hey, we'll be able to go out and bang a 57-yarder because Cade could do it, I don't think that's fair to the guys in the program,” Polian said. “We've not attempted very many 52 yards throughout the course of the year (when Polian was previously on LSU head coach Brian Kelly's staff at Notre Dame). We are attempting a bunch (of field goals in preseason practice) between 35 and 48 (yards). Those are the ones we have to make.”

None of LSU’s four placekicking candidates – redshirt freshman Damian Ramos, sophomore Ezekeal Mata, graduate transfer Trey Finison and true freshman Nathan Dibert – have ever attempted a field goal or extra point in a college game.

The only collegiate experience from that foursome in Finison’s 34 career kickoffs in three seasons playing for Northwestern in the Big Ten.

Last week, Kelly said Ramos was the leading candidate to start at placekicker while Notre Dame transfer Jay Bramblett has wrapped up the starting job as punter.

While Polian agreed with Kelly that Bramblett is the starting punter – “Jay Bramblett has been everything that we thought he would be in terms of his ability on the field and leadership wise with our group of specialists,” he said – Polian felt the placekicking spot hasn’t been settled.

“Damian Ramos has had a fantastic camp,” Polian said. “We were in a two-minute drill last week and he made a 54-yarder to win the game. So, if you want to make a name for yourself, making a 54-yarder in a two-minute drill in front of the head coach is a good way to do it.

“Trey Finison has had a very good camp. And in the last six to eight days. Dibert has really come on after a bit of adjustment period at the start. It’s a quantum leap from the suburbs of Michigan to Death Valley.”

The starting kickoff specialist, another huge vacancy left by the graduation of Avery Atkins who was responsible for LSU leading the SEC in highest touchback percentage (84 percent) the last four seasons, is up for grabs.

With the kickoff job, it's not who's got the best ball,” Polian said. “It’s who can hit their best ball consistently. And that's what we're trying to work out right now.

“Touchback is the easiest covered but there are times that we want to drop the ball on the goal line and get down there and cover. And frankly there are times we want to move the ball across the field.”

Polian noted starting deep snapper Slade Roy, who transferred from East Carolina, “has been awesome" and also praised the progress of backup redshirt freshman punter Peyton Todd.

“Peyton Todd has come a mile from where he was in the spring,” Polian said. “He's really had a good camp, and we're very encouraged about his future. He’s a big strong guy. When he connects, you can hear it. His consistency has been much better.”

Polian said auditions for kickoff and punt returners are on-going.

Leading kickoff return candidates are slot receiver Malik Nabers, wide receiver Evan Francioini and running back Armoni Goodwin. Nabers, cornerback Sevyn Banks and safety Sage Ryan are working as punt returners.

“I didn’t know a lot about Sage,” Polian said. “(Wide receivers coach) Cortez (Hankton) and I were talking over the summer about possible candidates to return punts. A bunch of guys came to us and said, 'Go back and watch Sage’s high school film.'

“He was an electric offensive player. We put him back there (as a punt returner) and he’s really a natural catcher.”

As a high school senior for Lafayette Christian Academy, Ryan returned three punts for touchdowns in 2020 when he earned LSWA Class 2A all-state honors as both an athlete and kick returner in 2020 and was named the Class 2A offensive MVP for the state.

Polian cited defensive backs Colby Richardson and Major Burns, linebackers West Weeks and Kolbe Fields, running backs Josh Williams and Nick Demas and wide receiver Jaray Jenkins as standing out on coverage teams.

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