Vote: Who is the top returning specialist in Texas high school football in 2025?

Read up on some of the state's specialists for the 2025 season and cast your vote for the best!

Smithson Valley's Trent Amaya kicks a field goal during the Class 5A, Division I State Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He's one of the top returning kickers in 2025. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We’ve reached the end of our top players by position with this look at kickers, punters and return specialists in the Lone Star State.

There’s some Division I commits already among this group and there’s even kicker who owns a UIL record.

After you check out these notable returners, be sure to cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page for which one you think will have the best season in 2025. 

Voting will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 27.

Please note this is not an overall ranking, as each player is listed in alphabetical order

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Cameron Allen, sr., Carrollton Hebron

The kicker was perfect last year whenever he was on the field. He hit all 39 point-after attempts and was 12-for-12 on field goals — with a long off 44 yards. He was a second-team all-state player last year. 

Trent Amaya, sr., Spring Branch Smithson Valley 

The senior was a first-team Class 5A kicker last year for the state champions. He set a UIL record last year with four field goals in a 32-20 win over Dallas Highland Park. He made 13 FGs and 84 PATs last year. Also averaged 40.7 yards per punt.

Nolan Bartley, sr., Austin Westlake

Last year, 53 of his 75 kickoffs went for touchbacks for the Chaparrals. He converted on 74 of 75 PATs and also made 6 FGs for the state runners-up.

Brandon Brown Jr., sr., Killeen Shoemaker

An all-state kick returner, he averaged 31.5 yards per kickoff return for the Greywolves last year. Of his 10 kickoff returns, 2 of them went back for touchdowns. He holds 19 offers, according to 247Sports, but is uncommitted.

Mikey Bukauskas, sr., Prosper

He’s ranked the No. 3 punter in the country and has committed to Texas. He earned a spot to punt in the Under Armour All-American Game on ESPN. He’s been a two-time District 5-6A first-team punter and was second-team kicker last year as well.

Logan Bures, jr., Ganado

Nearly a 1,400-yard rusher, he was particulary solid for the state champions in returns. He ran back a punt and kickoff return last year and averaged nearly 28 yards per punt return. 

Jason Cardenas, sr., San Antonio Winston Churchill

A 5-star kicker according to Kohl’s Kicking Camp, he was a first-team all-district pick last year. The K/P combo was 7-for-11 on fields, including a long of 47 last fall. He had 12 punts downed inside the 20 and a 36-yard-per-punt average. Of his 48 kickoffs, 27 were for touchbacks for the Chargers.

Ryan Carmona, sr., Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial

He was a Class 5A honorable mention pick last year for the Eagles. He made 11 field goals, with a long of 49, and connected on 48 of 52 PATs. Of his 66 kickoffs, 45 were for touchbacks.

Braydon Doane, sr., Austin Lake Travis

He’s entering his fourth year kicking for the Cavaliers. He had 88 kickoffs last year and 29 of them for touchbacks in 2024. Punting-wise, he had a 39.1 yards average. He scored 98 total points between 64 PATs and 12 FGs. 

Marvin Espinal, jr., Tyler

A football and soccer player, he was pretty much nails for the Lions last year. He booted a 50-yard field goal as part of a 6-for-6 stat line. He also was 36 for 38 in PATs. Espinal was a third-team all-state kicker in 2024. 

Dontreal Fisher, sr., Houston James Madison

We are betting on a bounce back from Fisher, who played only 2 games in 2024. As a sophomore, he had a total 4 returned scores on kickoff/punt returns for the Marlins. He averaged more than 30 yards per return in both categories in 2023. Was all-state as a kick returner last year.

Marcell Gipson Jr., sr., Dallas South Oak Cliff

He’s already been listed as one of the best as a cornerback. He’s ranked No. 67 in the country as a cornerback, but was an all-state pick as a returner last year in Class 5A. The reason? He returned 5 punts for touchdowns for the Golden Bears.

Ethan Guillen, sr., Waxahachie

A punter-kicker comber, he was nails for the Indians last year, earning Class 6A all-state honors. He averaged 48.7 yards per punt, with a long of 62, and downed 11 inside the 20. He had 33 touchbacks and averaged 56 yards on kickoffs. He made 12 field goals and 34 PATs last year. He posted on social media he’s battling patellar tendinitis heading into the 2025 season.

Colt James, sr., Palestine

Of all the punters stats recorded on MaxPreps last year, he was 4th overall in Texas with yards per punt and is the 2nd in returning players this year. He provided 46.9 yards per punt for the Wildcats and was a 1st team Class 4A all-state selection. He was also 19-for-19 on PATs.

Kaegan Morton, jr., Mt. Belvieu Barbers Hill

A versatile athlete — WR/DB — he averaged 44.3 yards per kickoff return last year for the Eagles. He had only 8 kickoff returns but three of them ended up in the end zone. Arkansas and Arizona State are among his latest offers. He’s also a district champ in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. 

Jeziel Ovalle, sr., Harlingen South 

He was fifth among punting stats on MaxPreps with an average of 43.6 yards per punt. Of the 38 punts, 13 were downed inside the 20. As a kicker, he had a 47.8 average on kickoffs.

Gabe Pendyala, sr., Sunnyvale

In 13 games last year, he had 91 kickoffs — that resulted in 43 touchbacks for the Raiders. Pendyala hit all 63 PATs and made 11 field goals, with a long of 48. He also averaged 35.7 yards per punt with 19 downed inside the 20.

Waylon Peters, sr., Montgomery

He averaged 43.3 yards per punt last year with 8 downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was 56 yards in 2024. The 5-star recruit committed to Texas A&M.

Lane Rigby, sr., Helotes O’Connor

The Air Force pledge had averaged 38.3 yards per punt and 47.9 yards per kickoff in 2024. He was 21-for-21 on PAT. He’s ranked the No. 8 kicker in the country by Kohl’s Kicking Camp. 

Kaden Rosado, jr., Conroe Grand Oaks 

The Grizzlies had one of the best kickers in the state last year in Rosado. He averaged 43.5 yards per punt, 6th overall in the state. He also averaged an impressive 51.9 yards average as the kickoff specialist. 

Cooper Ryan, sr., Lucas Lovejoy

A third-team Class 5A kicker last year, he was busy for the Leopards. He attempted 77 PATs and made all of them. On field goals, he was 17-for-19, kicking at least one in 11 of the team’s 14 games in 2024. 

Daniel Scarabino, sr., Katy Cinco Ranch

Last year he was the District 19-6A special teams MVP, all-district and later earned honorable mention all-state. He a versatile athlete as well doing the pole vault and dashes for the track and field team this past spring.

Chris Stewart, sr., Alvin Shadow Creek

The Texas pledge ran back two punts for touchdowns last year for the Sharks — not bad considering he only returned 7 last year. He averaged 28.9 yards per punt return and 25.2 yards per on kickoff returns, earning third-team all-state honors.

Gavin Strange, sr., Southlake Carroll

Probably more known for his role in the secondary, he’s a big player for the Dragons in the kicking game as well. He made 76 of 78 PATs last year and also kicked 8 FGs. His field goal against Longview was the difference in a 20-17 win in the Class 6A Division II semifinal game. The Class 6A third-team kicker is committed to Duke.

Jayvion White, sr., Little River Academy

Among players returning in 2025, he had the most total yards on returns last year with 770. All but 10 of those came in kickoff returns and included two returned for scores. He was a Class 2A all-state pick for the Bumblebees.

Others considered 

K — Daniel Abraham, sr., Tomball Christian Homeschool 

K — Diego Jimenez, jr., Boerne

K — Jaxen Ludlow, sr., White Oak

K — Isiah Smith, sr., Collinsville

K — Ethan Van Dusen, sr., Victoria West

P — Jeremiah Flores, jr., Pittsburg

P — Kohl Collins, sr., Fairfield

P — Jasper Crain, sr., Hooks

KR — Maverick Bayer, jr., Muenster

KR/PR — Daniel Berry, sr., Pflugerville Weiss

KR — Samuel Brown, so., Clint

KR — Jamar Burton, sr., Arlington

KR — Jaylen Gordon, sr., North Richland Hills

KR/PR — Brandon Kennedy, sr., Elysian Fields

KR — Aiden Mendoza, sr., Iraan

KR/PR — LJ Taylor, sr., Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy

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