Punter Logan Cooke is rightly getting the spotlight because the Jacksonville Jaguars gave him a long-term contract. However, he's not the only special teamer who's making headlines. Teammate Cam Little has been clutch at mandatory minicamp and recently earned massive praise from head coach Liam Coen.
After Day 3 of minicamp, Coen told the local media that Little has been his consistent self, poiting out that the sophomore will be pivotal in light of the new rule changes.
"He's a stud. You should see him hit a golf ball. I mean, it's like the same that you see out here. I mean, he's just, he's explosive," Coen said when asked to share his thoughts on Little. "The ball jumps off his foot. He's got multiple different kicks in his repertoire and the kickoff game as well, which obviously we know with the new rule changes will be really imperative for us to be able to take advantage of some of those rules with the different type of kicks and styles of play."
Coen continued, "So he's been great. Been really consistent, and it was really fun to be around."
As Coen stated, there will be two changes to the NFL rulebook that will affect Little next season. The first one is that touchbacks will be moved from the 30 to the 35-yard line to encourage more kick returns. The other one is that clubs can now attempt onside kicks at any time in the game, whereas they could only do it in the fourth quarter under the previous policy.
Little was a sixth-round pick in last year's draft. Right off the bat, he put an end to the revolving door the Jags had at kicker for several years. Aside from nailing 93.1 percent of his attempts in 2024, the former Arkansas Razorback went 5-of-6 in kicks from 50 yards out.
Cam Little gives the Jaguars much-needed stability at kicker
All things considered, it's easy to understand Coen's glowing review of Little ahead of Year 2. On Day 3 of mandatory minicamp, he went 5-of-5 and made a 50+ attempt, according to Travis D. Holmes of SB Nation.
With Little in the fold, the Jaguars don't have to worry about the kicker position for the foreseeable future. In fact, their special teams as a whole figures to be once again a strength after being one of the top units in the NFL last year. One big reason is that the top brass is leaving the group as intact as possible.
Aside from bringing back special teams coordinator Heath Farwell, Jacksonville gave Logan Cooke a four-year extension. Similarly, All-Pro long-snapper Ross Matiscik is signed through 2026. Add Little to the mix, and the Jaguars have a talented trio of specialists in place.
After an underwhelming 2024, all eyes will be on the Jaguars offense and defense. Having said that, expect Cam Little and the special teams to carry some of the load and win a few couple of close games.
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