Impressed coaches, reliable long snappers and more: Catching up with elite Illini punting recruit
EL PASO — Versatility makes Declan Duley a special teams weapon.
The senior handles punting and kicking duties for El Paso-Gridley, pinning opponents deep in their own territory and hitting long field goals. Now, he’s taking those talents to the next level.
Duley, who is ranked as one of the nation’s top punters, gave his verbal commitment to Illinois on Sept. 14. This came after an official visit to Champaign for a 24-3 win over Virginia on Sept. 10.
How is it having that college choice behind him?
“People ask me if I feel more pressure now,” Duley said, “but I really don’t. After (committing), I just have a different level of confidence going into practice, going into games.
“It’s just a different feeling. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
More:El Paso-Gridley punter Declan Duley commits to play college football at Illinois
'Holy cow'
Explaining what the 6-foot, 200-pound lefty can do on the football field is almost better told by an opposing coach. Eureka coach Jason Bachman witnessed Duley kick a booming 57-yard punt against the Hornets, then put Eureka, which won 33-3, on its own 1-yard line.
Duley has a 39.4 average on 21 punts through six games for the Titans (4-2), who head to Heyworth (2-4) for a 7 p.m. Friday kick.
“That's higher-level punting,” Bachman said. “Yeah, he's got a leg, doesn't he? Holy cow. He can crank it.”
Duley says as much as he can be upset that the 57-yarder went in the endzone, it was still a touchback. As for pinning state-ranked Eureka just outside of its own goal line, Duley perfectly placed that 51-yard punt.
“I wasn’t too happy with the process of how that punt came out,” he said, “but the result was great. It’s all I can take from it.”
Duley has made a smooth transition into the EP-G purple and black after transferring from Normal U-High following the first semester of his junior year. He says he had to initially get acclimated to the program’s culture.
Family is one way he describes the camaraderie between him and his teammates.
“This season’s been great,” Duley said, “just because these are all the guys I’ve grown up with. I know I say that a lot, but I mean, it’s the truth and I absolutely love it. Our chemistry is great.”
Thanking the snappers
Duley also has been integral in helping his long snappers Parker Duffy (field goals) and Drew Neal (punts) hone their games.
More:How this El Paso-Gridley football player became the nation's top college punting prospect
“They work their tails off to snap for me,” Duley said. “Their progression since the first day has been unreal. … I’m thankful for that.”
As for his kicking ability, Duley boasts a 53.2 average on kickoffs, accounting for 19 touchbacks on 25 attempts. He’s also 12-for-14 on extra points (both misses were blocked) and has hit 4 of 7 field goals. A 45-yard, first-quarter field goal snapped a 19-quarter scoreless streak for Eureka’s opponents.
His primary role in college will be punting, but having the ability to kick will come in handy in a pinch.
“It’s definitely a great thing to have in my back pocket especially going into college,” Duley said. “Being the backup or emergency kicker it’s a big deal. … To be able to do both, punting and kicking, coaches want that because they want to be able to know that — God forbid — the kicker gets hurt, we got a guy who can do it.”
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illini recruiting: Punter Declan Duley confident for El Paso-Gridley
