Duke football: Examining the Blue Devils' special teams
Analyzing who will be on the field for Duke on special teams during the 2026 season.
Special teams played a crucial role in Duke football’s struggles last season, as the Blue Devils finished 89th in the FBS for field goal attempts. Todd Pelino, the team's main field goal kicker, missed 5 out of 19 attempts from beyond the 40-yard line. However, Cosme Salas, who primarily handled kickoff duties in 2025, managed an 8-for-8 accuracy within 40 yards.
Salas is set to take over as the primary field goal kicker when Duke faces Tulane on September 5th, with Ashton Zamani as his backup. Kade Reynoldson returns as the punter, averaging 44.61 yards per punt in his sophomore season. Cosme Salas, backed by Ashton Zamani, will assume the kickoff duties, while Reynoldson continues as the holder.
Jayden Moore, a freshman, averaged 25.33 yards per kickoff return last season, with Nate Sheppard also vying for the kickoff return spot, albeit with the risk of injury.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
