Wolfpack K Kanoah Vinesett Has to Be Better in 2025

The North Carolina State Wolfpack team will rely on kicker Kanoah Vinesett this season. It is going to be important to see improvement from Vinesett.

Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack place kicker Kanoah Vinesett (94) kicks a field goal against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

One unit of the North Carolina State Wolfpack football team that no one talks a lot about is the special-teams unit. A lot of people forget about this unit, no matter what team it is. A lot of people do not think about how impactful a special team player is to a team. They can be the difference in any game they play.

Many people do not think about it too much because sometimes we do not see the special teams unit a lot during the course of a game. But when they are called in big moments or to do something big, there they are ready to make an impact.

For the Wolfpack, this season, they are going to have kicker Kanoah Vinesett back. That is good news for the team as they do not have to find a new place kicker. They know what they will have in Vinesett, and that is big for any team. One thing that they will need from him is to be a better kicker than he was last season. That improvement will be huge for the special teams unit and the overall team.

"Taking a deeper look at his 2024 season, starting in game six against, Vinesett missed a field goal in four straight games. On the year, he connected on just 3-of-6 kicks from 40-49 yards, while converting on 1-of-2 attempts from 50-plus yards," said Michael Clark of 247Sports.

When the dust settled, he ranked 10th in the ACC in scoring and third in field goals per game.

"State has a rich history of prolific kickers through the years, including most recently Christopher Dunn and Brayden Narveson. That alone made taking over as the Pack's kicker a tall task."

"To be fair, State's offense struggled mightily at times, and didn't do Vinesett any favors. However, he did struggle at times, and must be more consistent, especially on longer kicks this fall."

"Looking at the Pack's upcoming schedule, I expect many contests to be close. Regardless, we've seen how important a kicker can be to a team's success, and if State's going to exceed expectations, it will need a strong year from Vinesett."

For Vinesett, it is all about building his confidence, especially early in the season. Those early-season PATs and field goals are going to be critical for him to set the tone for a good season. That is going to be interesting to watch. Coming out strong will do well for him.