Competitions for positions on a college football team don't often come down to a coach's decision.
Far more often than not, players' performances make it clear who's deserving of the spot in question. The two kickers vying for the job at the University of Wisconsin this fall mark the exception to the norm because they've been virtually identical for the better part of a year in terms of reliability and range, and the decision made by coach Luke Fickell will come down to more than just makes and misses.
"It'll be sitting down with them, too," Fickell said. "I think there's a mindset to a lot of those things. I think they're very similar. But I think we'll have to really sit down with those guys and see where we see what's best for the whole group."
'No bad blood': How Wisconsin football kickers are handling training camp competition
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Some races for other special teams positions were ongoing when training camp practices closed to reporters.
We'll break down the specialists in this final edition of BadgerExtra's position preview series, with a reminder that these aren't meant to be exhaustive lists of every player who will play in the role, rather an examination of the players who will be most responsible for that group's success or failure this season.
Nathanial Vakos has been the Badgers kicker since Fickell arrived and has made 27 of 38 field-goal attempts with one blocked try. That 71.1% accuracy rate, including a 0-for-3 mark from 40-49 yards and a 6-for-13 mark from 30-49 yards, wasn't good enough to give him a guaranteed third year in the spot. Vakos said he worked on his mental training to eliminate the self-deprecating jokes he tried to use to shake off misses.
Kaukauna native Gavin Lahm was set to try his hand elsewhere this winter but was brought back to compete for the placekicking role. He's matching Vakos kick for kick, and Lahm's effortless power is something that differentiates him from other kickers.
The winner of the kicking battle also is going to be asked to handle kickoffs while the other takes a redshirt year. Lahm was the kickoff specialist for most of the past two seasons.
Jeff Grimes is Wisconsin football's highest-paid offensive coordinator ever
Atticus Bertrams will handle punting duties for a third season after stepping up to a challenge from Sean West. Bertrams has the ability to perform traditional and rugby punts, though Wisconsin's yet to commit to rugby style punts as a regular feature. Bertrams averaged 45.3 yards per punt a season ago and had 15 of at least 50 yards. His challenge will be to increase his consistency on top of adding place-kick holder duties to his plate.
Receiver Vinny Anthony II returns after being a top 10 kick returner in college football a season ago. Coaches want to prevent too much strain on Anthony's body since he'll be a top-end receiver on offense, so the punt returner role was up for grabs this fall. Receivers Jayden Ballard, Tyrell Henry and Trech Kekahuna are in the running, but it wasn't clear the last week of training camp who had the edge for the role. Henry, who was a returner at Michigan State before transferring, would be ideal with his experience and improved ball security.
Wisconsin retooled its long snapper group after a disappointing spring in terms of snap speed and blocking acumen. Purdue transfer Nick Levy has taken over that role after he was an honorable mention All-Big Ten snapper a year ago.
Catch up on Wisconsin football training camp with BadgerExtra's observations from practice Practice 14
An update on the race for the QB2 job, a sixth-year defender learning a new role and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 14th training camp practice
An update on the race for the QB2 job, a sixth-year defender learning a new role and more from Badgers football practice.
Practice 13
Multiple defensive backs provided highlights, a fourth-year running back shores up an area of his game and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 13th training camp practice
Multiple defensive backs provided highlights, a fourth-year running back shores up an area of his game and more from Badgers football practice.
Practice 12
A hole in RB1's game, a senior defender showing up in a big way and more.
College Football 4 observations from Wisconsin football's 12th training camp practice Colten Bartholomew | Wisconsin State Journal Practice 11
The backup quarterbacks took center stage, a senior defender showed out and more from the Badgers' first practice in Camp Randall this training camp.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 11th training camp practice
The backup quarterbacks took center stage, a senior defender showed out and more from the Badgers' first practice in Camp Randall this training camp.
Practice 10
A lesson learned for a young defender, a transfer edge defender causing havoc and more from Wisconsin football's last practice in Platteville this year.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 10th practice
A lesson learned for a young defender, a transfer edge defender causing havoc and more from Wisconsin football's last practice in Platteville this year.
Practice 9
The Badgers' offense stood out, new wrinkles in offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes' scheme were evident, a senior from Green Bay impressed and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 9th training camp practice
The Badgers' offense stood out, new wrinkles in offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes' scheme were evident, a senior from Green Bay impressed and more from the team's practice session.
Practice 8
A senior linebacker returns and creates TFLs, a young O-lineman asserting his will and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 8th training camp practice
A senior linebacker returns and creates TFLs, a young O-lineman asserting his will and more that caught the eye at Badgers football training camp in Platteville.
Practice 7
A consistent issue for a top offensive lineman, an emerging option at receiver, the depth of the D-line and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 7th training camp practice
A consistent issue for a top offensive lineman, an emerging option at receiver, the depth of the D-line and more from Badgers football practice in Platteville.
Practice 6
A new cornerback was forced to step up, an underrated skill of QB1 and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 6th training camp practice
A new cornerback was forced to step up, an underrated skill of QB1 and more from Wisconsin football's training camp practice in Platteville.
Practice 5
A breakout day for a running back, a transfer defensive back solidifying his role and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 5th training camp practice
A breakout day for a running back, a transfer defensive back solidifying his role and more from Badgers practice in Platteville.
Practice 4
A session in the red zone, a competition heating up at cornerback and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 4th training camp practice
A session in the red zone, a competition heating up at cornerback and the rest of what caught the eye at the Badgers practice on Saturday.
Practice 3
Here's what to know from a Badgers practice that featured a pair of transfers on defense making plays, the kicking competition starting up and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 3rd training camp practice
Here's what to know from a Badgers practice that featured a pair of transfers on defense making plays, the kicking competition starting up and more.
Practice 2
A quarterback shined despite tough weather conditions, two edge defenders were all over the backfield and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 2nd training camp practice
A quarterback shined despite tough weather conditions, two edge defenders were all over the backfield and more from Badgers training camp.
Practice 1
A senior defender looked in midseason form, the Badgers' depth along the offensive line was tested and more.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's first training camp practice
A senior defender looked in midseason form, the Badgers' depth along the offensive line was tested and more from a balmy training camp debut in Platteville.
Practice 15
The Badgers wrapped up training camp with a scrimmage and a young running back rose to the occasion.
4 observations from Wisconsin football's 15th training camp practice
The Badgers scrimmaged to end training camp as players further down the depth chart got a chance to shine and a cornerback battle thickens.
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