Not many teams recruit a kicker specifically for kickoffs, but that was the genius of J.B. Gibboney under Danny Hope. He knew all about the kicking game, and that is how today's player ended up on campus.
Thomas Meadows - So.
Maidens, Virginia (Goochland HS
6', 182 pounds
Kicker
2013 Projection: Kickoff Specialist
Purdue recruited two kickers in the class of 2012 and had a local walk-on also compete for the job. Eventually, all there found roles with the team. Paul Griggs and Sam McCartney traded placements back and forth while Meadows had one job: kick the ball as far as he could on kickoffs.
Well, it worked. He averaged 58.9 yards per kickoff and has 12 touchbacks while handling duties for all 13 games. He ended up kicking off 70 times with three going out of bounds.
Meadows can also serve as the third string kicker in case both Griggs and McCartney really struggle. He can serve as a backup punter to Cody Webster, too. With Webster graduating meadows might see the field more as a junior next season if he were to win the punter's job over incoming freshman Austin McGehee.