Who are the best specialists in the last 25 years of Penn State football? How our panel voted
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Penn State football: The best players since 2000
For summer 2025, we’re looking back on the past quarter century of Penn State football and Nittany Lions. We formed a panel of voters to determine the best players at each position since the 2000 season, along with the top 10 offensive and defensive players overall.
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Our summer series ranking the best Penn State football players of the last quarter century is on to the last positions — the specialists.
As a reminder, we reached out to eight Penn State beat writers to form a panel of voters who have determined the best Nittany Lions at each position since the 2000 season, along with the top 10 offensive and defensive players overall, based on their stats, accomplishments and the eye test.
That panel is made up of: Neil Rudel (Altoona Mirror), Rich Scarcella (Reading Eagle), Audrey Snyder (The Nittany Dispatch), Mark Brennan (Lions247), Mark Wogenrich (Penn State on SI), Frank Bodani (York Daily Record), Daniel Gallen (Lions247), Johnny McGonigal (PennLive), Josh Moyer (Centre Daily Times) and Jon Sauber (Centre Daily Times).
Let’s look at the five best kickers, punters and return specialists of the last 25 seasons. And after you’ve reviewed our picks, vote at the bottom of this story in a poll that covers specialists, defensive tackles and defensive ends.
Note: All stats and years played are from 2000 and beyond unless otherwise noted. First-place votes are in parentheses for players with a high rank of one.
Return specialists
5. Larry Johnson
High rank: 2 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 5
Years played: 2000-2002
Notable stats: 24.3 yards per kick return, two punt return touchdowns, one kick return touchdown
Johnson was already named the No. 2 running back of the last quarter century, and now his returning ability has him in the top five as a specialist. The former Nittany Lion only had two career punt returns to his name — and took both back for touchdowns after the punts were blocked. Those two returns in 2002 tie him for first all-time for most punt returns for a touchdown in program history.
4. Chaz Powell
High rank: 3 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 4.3
Years played: 2008-2011
Notable stats: 25.6 yards per kick return, two kick return touchdowns
Powell may have only had one kick return for a touchdown, but he was consistently productive as a specialist for the Nittany Lions. He’s Penn State’s all-time leader in career kick return yards with 1,866 and is first in single-season kick return yards with the 733 he had in 2011. Powell’s two kick return touchdowns also tie him for second-most all-time in program history.
3. Jahan Dotson
High rank: 3 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 4.2
Years played: 2018-2021
Notable stats: 17.8 yards per punt return, one punt return touchdown
Dotson didn’t return a single kick in his Penn State career, but his ability as a punt returner earns him this spot. He had one punt return touchdown but was consistently able to pick up big yards for the Nittany Lions. His 17.8 yards per punt return is the most all-time in Penn State history and earned him two All-Big Ten appearances as a returner (honorable mention in 2020 and third team in 2021).
2. Saquon Barkley
High rank: 1 (1) | Low rank: 3 | Average rank: 2
Years played: 2015-2017
Notable stats: 27.8 yards per kick return, two kick return touchdowns
The best running back of the last quarter century is also one of Penn State’s best returners. Barkley was the 2017 Hornung Award winner, which goes to college football’s most versatile player, and was the Big Ten’s return specialist of the year and was named first team All-Big Ten as a returner that year. He’s tied for second in both single-season and career kick return touchdowns in Penn State history with the two he had in his final year as a Nittany Lion.
1. Derrick Williams
High rank: 1 (9) | Low rank: 3 | Average rank: 1.1
Years played: 2005-2008
Notable stats: 11 yards per punt return, 21.9 yards per kick return, three punt return touchdowns, two kick return touchdowns
Williams was a runaway choice here, earning nine of the 10 first-place votes from our panel thanks to a prolific career as a returner. He was one of the most dynamic players the program had over the last 25 years and put that on display as a returner. He was a second team All-American as a returner and a first team All-Big Ten player at the position — earning both honors in 2008. Williams is both fifth in punt return yards and seventh in kick return yards in program history, earning him the top position on the list.
Kickers
5. Jake Pinegar
High rank: 2 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 5.1
Years played: 2018-2022
Notable stats: 49/67 on field goals (long: 50), 195/202 on extra points
Pinegar edged out Robbie Gould for this spot on the back of his two-time All-Big Ten honorable mentions in 2019 and 2022. He’s first in program history in career extra points made with 195 and had the most extra points in a single game when he had 10 in 2019 against Idaho.
4. Collin Wagner
High rank: 4 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 4.9
Years played: 2007-2010
Notable stats: 36/48 on field goals (long: 49), 85/85 on extra points
Wagner is tied for first in Penn State history in extra point percentage with his perfect 100% and was named All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2010. He’s also third in career field goal percentage in program history thanks to his 75% mark through his four-year career.
3. Sam Ficken
High rank: 2 | Low rank: 4 | Average rank: 2.6
Years played: 2011-2014
Notable stats: 54/75 on field goals (long: 54 yards), 109/112 on extra points
Ficken had a great finish to his career after struggling in 2012, eventually going on to be named All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2013 and an All-Big Ten second team kicker in 2014. He’s first in Penn State history in single-season field goals made with 24 in 2014 and second in career field goals made with 54.
2. Tyler Davis
High rank: 1 (3) | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 2.5
Years played: 2015-2017
Notable stats: 39/49 on field goals (long: 47 yards), 144/144 on extra points
Davis, like Wagner, is tied for first in program history with his perfect 100% make rate on extra points in his career. While Davis did not have the big leg some of the other kickers had, he was consistently accurate, earning the Vlade Award in 2016 which goes to the nation’s most accurate kicker. He was also All-Big Ten first team that year and finished his time as the most accurate field goal kicker in Nittany Lion history at 79.6%.
1. Kevin Kelly
High rank: 1 (7) | Low rank: 3 | Average rank: 1.5
Years played: 2005-2008
Notable stats: 78/107 on field goals (long: 53), 183/185 on extra points
Kelly began his career with a bang, making the game-winning field goal in the Orange Bowl to cap off his freshman season in 2005 and would go on to make the All-Big Ten first team in 2008 after being an honorable mention in 2007. He’s Penn State’s all-time leader in scoring (425) points, field goals made (78) and field goals made in consecutive games (31).
Punters
5. Riley Thompson
High rank: 5 | Low rank: NR | Average rank: 5.2
Years played: 2023-present
Notable stats: 44.3 yard per punt
Thompson has a chance to move up this list with a strong 2025. He’s already second in Penn State career punting average at 44.3 yards per punt and is second in PSU single-season punting average with the 45.8 mark he put up in 2023 when he was named All-Big Ten honorable mention.
4. Jeremy Boone
High rank: 1 (1) | Low rank: 4 | Average rank: 3.1
Years played: 2007-2009
Notable stats: 43.13 yards per punt
Boone is fourth in Penn State career punting average with 43.13 yards and was named to three All-Big Ten teams in his career. He made the first team in 2009, second team in 2007 and was an honorable mention in 2008.
3. Jeremy Kapinos
High rank: 1 (2) | Low rank: 4 | Average rank: 2.5
Years played: 2003-2006
Notable stats: 41.7 yards per punt
Kapinos has as many accolades as any other punter on this list. He was a third team All-American, a finalist for the Ray Guy Award and a second team All-Big Ten punter — all in 2006. He also made All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2004 and 2005 and has the second-longest punt in Penn State history, a 78-yarder in 2004.
2. Blake Gillikin
High rank: 1 (1) | Low rank: 4 | Average rank: 2.4
Years played: 2016-2019
Notable stats: 43.03 yards per punt
Gillikin had a very successful four-year Penn State career, making All-Big Ten second team in 2017 and honorable mention in 2016 and 2019. His 43.03 career punting average is fifth in program history and his 43.95 mark in 2018 is good for fourth-best in a single season in PSU history.
1. Jordan Stout
High rank: 1 (6) | Low rank: 4 | Average rank: 2
Years played: 2019-2021
Notable stats: 44.54 yards per punt
It’s no surprise that the top punter on this list is also the program’s career leader in yards per punt with 44.54. Stout consistently hit booming punts and peaked in 2021 when he had the best punting average in a single-season in Penn State history with 45.8 yards per punt. That year he was a second team All-American, Ray Guy Award finalist, the Big Ten’s punter of the year and an All-Big Ten first team member.
This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
