USC Football: Walk-on specialists pushing favorites in kicking competitions

Competition for USC Football’s starting punting and kicking jobs have heated up with walk-ons Reid Budrovich and Chase McGrath pushing for places.

Going into USC Football’s 2017 fall camp, it might have been simple to assume the competition for starting jobs at punter and kicker would be limited.

Scholarship punter Chris Tilbey held down the former in 2016 while scholarship kicker was seen as the heir apparent to Matt Boermeester.

Instead, walk-ons Reid Budrovich and Chase McGrath have kept the competition tight, pushing it into USC’s mock game week and perhaps beyond.

With fall camp completed after the Trojans’ scrimmage at the Coliseum on Saturday, the starting punter job is still very much up for grabs.

“[Special teams coach John] Baxter has told me it’s a heck of a competition right now,” head coach Clay Helton said on Saturday. “He’s really pressing Chris [Tilbey].”

Budrovich took first team reps at the position throughout the week, impressing coaches along the way.

“I commend Reid. He did a wonderful job over the summer and has really developed his strength, not only in the weight room, but you see it out here,” Helton said, noting the punter’s ability to boot a ball from the 20-yard line into the opposite end zone when the Trojans practiced a kick after a safety scenario.

Though Budrovich may be ahead right now, there’s still time for Tilbey to reestablish himself at the No. 1 guy with two weeks of prep before USC opens the season against Western Michigan on September 2.

The other kicking competition is just as fierce.

While Brown appears to have held onto first team reps through fall camp, a lack of consistency from the kicker has opened the door for McGrath, a freshman walk-on from Mater Dei, to make a move.

McGrath hit four-of-five field goal attempts at the Coliseum on Saturday, with a long of 42 yards. Brown his just two-of-five, with his long at 36 yards.

SEE ALSO: Practice Notes From USC’s Final Scrimmage of Fall Camp

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“I thought Chase had a really good day today,” Helton said “He looked really confident. Mike missed a couple today but it was neat to see Chase come out here. He’s really pushing for the job.”

When it comes to the kickers, Helton said they will continue to compete through the end of camp and even into the season depending on results.

“You always do what you feel is best for the team in the moment,” he said. “It’s one of those things, if one guy is hotter than the other, we’ve got to be able to put points on the board.”

CHECK OUT: Predicting USC’s 2017 Depth Chart

So even though the Trojans are expected to release a post-fall camp depth chart in the coming days, don’t be surprised if there are a couple ORs in the special teams spots.