Entering his final season in South Bend, specialist Kyle Brindza is a valuable asset for head coach Brian Kelly. The team’s kickoff man, placekicker and punter, Brindza is a one-man special teams unit. And the senior-to-be is one of the best in the country.
Expect Brindza to be a preseason awards candidate, deserved for one of the best clutch kickers in college football. Let’s take a closer look at the Canton, Michigan native.
KYLE BRINDZA
6'1", 236 lbs.
Senior, No. 27
RECRUITING PROFILE
Rarely is there a battle for the signature of high school kickers, but Brindza chose Notre Dame over Michigan. From Signing Day on, Brian Kelly thought the Irish had found the right guy for the job.
“Kyle, we believe, to be the most talented kicker in the country,” Kelly said on Signing Day. “His versatility, in a sense he can do all the jobs. He can kick off. Obviously extra points and field goals, and he’s an outstanding punter. So he gives us such versatility coming in that he can take all of those positions and compete for all of those positions.”
Brindza’s ability to do that after Kelly inherited a roster bizarrely stacked with scholarship specialists. Charlie Weis had awarded scholarships to Nick Tausch, Brandon Walker and Ben Turk... and former walk-on David Ruffer ended up winning the kicking job and a scholarship.
PLAYING CAREER
Freshman Year (2011): Saw time in all 13 games, serving as the Irish’s kickoff specialist. Kicked off 71 times and forced 12 touchbacks.
Sophomore Year (2012): Took over duties as placekicker in addition to kicking off. Made 23 of 31 field goals attempted, surpassing John Carney’s single-season record for makes (21) and attempts (28). Made five field goals against USC to help lead the Irish to victory, including a clutch 52-yarder as time expired in the first half.
Junior Year (2013): Added punting to his duties, seeing action in all 13 games as the team’s primary kickoff man, punter and placekicker. Made 20 of 26 kicks on the year, including a school record three of at least 50 yards. Tied the school record with a 53-yard field goal against Arizona State, the same game where he kicked seven touchbacks. Went a perfect 38 for 38 on extra points. Also averaged 41.1 yards per punt.
FUTURE POTENTIAL
It’s hard not to think that Brindza has pro potential as a kicker after seeing the versatility he displayed during his junior campaign. But even if projecting a college specialist’s pro ceiling is difficult, this much is not: Brindza is a key member of the Irish football team.
At this point in his career, Brindza has surpassed the usual status of kickers and punters -- he’s a team leader. That’s come from his efforts in the weight room (not many kickers weigh 236 pounds and sometimes lead the team in special teams tackles) and from being one of the most clutch kickers the school has seen.
Expect Brindza’s number to only get better in his final season. The turf in Notre Dame Stadium will no longer be a shaky sod field. He’ll also have another year of punting under his belt, and the confidence to let it fly with improved cover teams. If Brindza is able to improve on things like touchbacks and net punting yardage (not to mention make over 80 percent of his field goals), he’ll have a chance at getting some postseason award attention and maybe a spot in the NFL Draft.
CRYSTAL BALL
After watching David Ruffer fail to recapture the magic he had in his penultimate season, don’t expect Brindza to suffer a similar regression. One, he’s got work to do. Too often, Brindza hooked field goals left, like a golfer who comes over the top of his driver. Brindza’s focus on the fundamentals of kicking and punting will continue, with muscle memory hopefully making the exercise more second nature.
In his fourth season in the program, Brindza is one of the most productive members of the highly touted recruiting class from 2011. He’ll also have the faith of his head coach, capable of talking Kelly into giving him a shot to attempt long-distance field goals that most coaches pass up.
Brindza is coming off a single-bowl record afternoon, where he made five field goals against Rutgers in sloppy Yankee Stadium. With artificial turf coming in at home and growing confidence after making the big kicks before, Brindza’s final season in South Bend should be a good one.
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