Expletives are not uncommon at a football practice. Still, a punt rarely incites foul language, unlike the plethora of blue phrases undoubtedly uttered from Arizona State's fans throughout a dismal special teams campaign last season.
An instance during last Tuesday's practice elicited a foul-mouthed response with a far different connotation.
As sophomore punter **[Nick McLarty](https://247sports.com/Player/Nick-McLarty-46148187)**'s offering twirled through Tempe's blue sky, thudding onto the 1-yard line roughly 70 yards from where the Australian's right foot initially connected with the ball, senior wide receiver Omarion Miller, who has seen and been a part of several incredible plays in his career, could not hide his amazement.
"Holy s\*\*\*," Miller remarked, corralling McLarty's kick with his heels on the goal line.
Former NFL punter and new special teams assistant Mike Scifres, a speck in the distance, reached high to tap the 6-foot-7 McLarty on the head, a proud acknowledgement of what the Ohio State transfer had just unleashed.
The pair, one wearing helmet and one in a snapback, are part of ASU's concerted efforts to improve its punting, which graded as the worst unit in the Big 12 by Pro Football Focus last year.
"We were dead last in the country in net punting," head coach Kenny Dillingham said. "That's not good. That's not good at all. To get a guy who's done it for a long time and to only focus on the details is going to be huge for us."
Scifres, ASU's first full-time punting and kicking coach, previously worked at UCLA, where the former professional crossed paths with Sun Devils' special teams coordinator Jack Nudo, who entered his first full season in his role this offseason. A 13-year NFL veteran and standout at Western Illinois, Scifres was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top collegiate punter, in 2002.
"A guy like him who understands and has done it at the highest level is a huge help," Nudo said. "\[Scifres\] treats his work as a coach like he did as a player. He's a professional through and through."
Scifres' addition to ASU's staff is part of the group's broader expansion, supported by the NCAA Division I Council's removal of a cap in 2024 that had limited teams to 10 coaches providing on-field instruction.
"If you have a quarterback's coach or someone that's tight end-specific, why not have a guy that can coach the kickers and punters?" Scifres said. "You need someone who can really help these kids understand more than just the technique. The game, the whys and why nots, the ins and outs of it. That's what I hope to do with these guys and they've been receptive so far."
In addition to being the lowest-graded unit in the Big 12, ASU's punters averaged the shortest hang time of any Power Four group, finishing just one spot ahead of Dillingham's last-place assertion in net yardage, slotting at 133rd in the FBS in 2025.
Along with Scifres' addition to the sidelines, McLarty joined the specialist room after two seasons at Ohio State, where the Melbourne native logged just one kick, a 45-yard punt against FCS Grambling State in September.
McLarty's first taste of the warm Arizona weather hooked him on the prospect of joining the Sun Devils. His conversations with Nudo and Scifres provided the finishing touch.
"I'm blessed to have two amazing coaches, coach Nudo and Mike Scifres," McLarty said. "Mike's got an incredible amount of experience in the NFL as well as a coach… To be able to work alongside those guys, that's what you want. Like, yeah, no matter what position you're in, you want the best coaches, the best people to be around you."
Despite relative inexperience, McLarty flashed during the first practices of spring ball, blasting towering punts that put returners on their heels, many of whom likely thought what Miller said.
During his first official weeks working with Scifres, McLarty's attitude has made an impression on the former professional. In one instance, the coach had to remind McLarty that 8 p.m. might be too late for a spontaneous film session. Still, the pair share a drive that Scifres views as essential.
"He's a worker," Scifres said. "He'll go out and punt all day, every day. If I told him there's a bag of balls out here tonight at 10, he'd probably come out here and try to find a way to punt in the dark. That's how much it means to him. That's what you want, you want kids that it means something to."
Despite McLarty's booming punts eliciting memories of a viral clip of him punting an Australian Rules football 90-plus yards over a stadium, the sophomore heightened his focus on precision and steadiness, two areas that escaped ASU's punters last season.
"I'm not trying to do anything too glorious," McLarty said. "I just want to do my job, do what's right for the team and put the team in a good position. I'm not here to set records or anything. I'm just here to do my job."
The Sun Devils were out-punted by nearly seven yards per contest, on average, across their three Big 12 losses. In particular, an 11.7-yard discrepancy against Arizona in ASU's final regular-season game indicated its inability to flip the field against its rivals, thus leaving its worn defense with shorter fields and less margin for error.
Junior punter Kanyon Floyd played through a hamstring injury for much of the season. Now-departed Matt McKenzie shanked several wobbling punts in key moments, particularly in the fourth quarter of the Sun Devils' eventual upset win over No. 6 Texas Tech, when a poor punt from McKenzie allowed the Red Raiders to set up shop deep in ASU territory on their lead-taking drive with less than two minutes to play.
Miscommunication and poor execution factored greatly into the Sun Devils' abysmal punting performance. ASU was 15th in the Big 12 in punt return yardage, due in large part to McKenzie and Floyd struggling to place their kicks where Nudo instructed, leaving the team's gunners in a wild-goose chase for the returner.
Despite McLarty's flashes of impressive leg strength, in the eyes of Scifres, the most effective punts are the ones that fall within the game plan, with even a return to average punting serving as a welcome reprieve for Dillingham's squad.
"I'm getting the punters to understand that if 11 people do their one job, everything is going to be seamless and we can lead the country in whatever we want," Scifres said. "Just helping them understand what's being asked of them, and that's the job they have to do."