All-Stoops Special Teams Unit

If you thought Kentucky's All-Defense Team of the Stoops era was impressive, take a second and think about the special teams contributors that have come through Lexington recently.

KICKER

Austin MacGinnis

This one's a no brainer, simply because the kicking game has often suffered when MacGinnis hasn't been around. One could make a strong case for MacGinnis as the best placekicker in Kentucky history based on not only his accuracy but his clutch gene. With very few exceptions when Kentucky needed points, were in range, and found itself in a high leverage situation, MacGinnis' foot was true and pure. Fortunately for Kentucky, it seems Matt Ruffolo has finally stabilized the kicking situation in the post-MacGinnis era. But it took a while.

PUNTER

Max Duffy

As good as MacGinnis was, and even granting him the status of best placekicker in UK history, Duffy is probably the best kicker/punter of either kind to ever wear a Kentucky uniform. The one-time Ray Guy Award winner and two-time contender was able to nail the coffin corner or flip the field. He rarely ever made a significant mistake. Duffy's punting style got him on the edge where he was occasionally able to make a big play to extend an offensive drive. That Australian style punting trend will continue after Duffy, who now gets his shot in the National Football League.

RETURNS

Lynn Bowden

Absent a great kick return option, Bowden is the obvious choice here for the work he did on punt returns. He brought one back against Missouri in 2018 to jumpstart a Kentucky come-from-behind win and later that season started the action with another punt return score against Penn State in the Citrus Bowl. Kentucky hasn't had much of a dynamic return game over the last decade and Bowden was no Derek Abney for his career but when he was back there, punters and special teams coordinators took notice and it impacted game plans at times.

COVERAGE STANDOUTS

Kash Daniel

Zach Johnson

Charles Moushey

Before Kash Daniel was a starting middle linebacker for the best defense in Kentucky's modern history (2018) he carved out a humble but impressive niche for himself making big energy plays and sniffing out potential returns for Kentucky's special teams unit.

Moushey was a walk-on and during the 2017 season was a special teams coverage standout for Kentucky. UK's Director of Performance Science clocked him at 21.1 miles per hour as a runner at one point, fastest on the team, and he had an instinct for getting downfield and making plays.

Johnson is a defensive back for Kentucky and around for another season but he really earned his scholarship on the basis of his special teams performance, picking up in coverage right where Moushey and Daniel left off. Every program has a player like that. Johnson has been a Burlsworth Trophy nominee, which is given annually to the top former walk-on in college football. Johnson returned some kicks earlier in his UK career and became the Cats' top return man (11 for 228 yards, 20.7 YPR).