From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Georgia P Brett Thorson.
No. 92 Brett Thorson/P Georgia – 6012, 237 pounds (Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Brett Thorson 6012/237 9 30 3/8 74 5/8
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Regarded as one of college football’s best punters with excellent production
– Elite placement ability to generate backspin on football and pin along sideline/corners, excellent ‘Inside 20’ rate
– Generally shows positive hangtime to allow coverage team to get downfield and reduce net return
– Traditional punting style and doesn’t need to learn the NFL model (compared to rugby-style punters)
– Battle-tested and punted on big stage
– Good leg strength
– Shows soft hands to corral poor snaps
– Bounced back from knee injury and didn’t miss a beat
– Excellent starting experience
– Limited chances but showed ability to tackle (2024 touchdown-saving stop against Tennessee)
The Bad
– Large for a punter and could stand to drop weight to help stamina and leg extension
– Leg strength is good, but not elite
– Can outkick his coverage, leading to touchbacks
– Hand-to-toe time feels a little long
– Next-to-no holding experience (only as backup) puts him at clear disadvantage
– Serious 2024 knee injury must be vetted
– No trick play background
– Didn’t handle kickoffs
– Benefitted from punting in good weather
Stats
– Career: 156 punts (45.6 yard average)
– 2025: 46 punts (45.5 yard average)
– 52.3 percent of punts last two seasons (48 of 88) landed inside 20 – led FBS in inside 20 percentage in 2025 (minimum 30 punts)
– Had 20 punts of 50-plus yards of 46 punts in 2025
– Career long of 75 yards (2022)
– PFF’s No. 4 punter in 2025 among 105 qualifiers (No. 1 in 2025)
– Led FBS in hangtime in 2024 (4.53 seconds) and third in 2025 (4.38 seconds)
– Just four of his 46 punts in 2025 were returned (8.7 percent, third-best in FBS)
Injury History
– 2024: tore ACL and MCL in left knee (plant leg) attempting to make tackle in SEC Title game, missing rest of season
– 2025: Missed 2025 season opener while still recovering from injury, returning for Week 2
Bio
– Turned 26 in January 2026
– From Dumbalk North, Australia (100 miles away from Melbourne), growing up on a dairy farm
– Joined ProKick Australia program to learn how to punt
– Right-footed punter
– 2024 Ray Guy Award Finalist, 2025 Ray Guy Award Winner
– AP All-American second team in 2024 and 2025
– Involved in 2023 car accident and cited for following too closely to another driver
– Regarded as a laidback personality with good humor
– Parents are Andrea and Jacko
Tape Breakdown
Brett Thorson is one of many Australian punters who learned American Football and excelled in college. The NCAA’s top punter the last two years, he brings a good leg, but even better accuracy and placement. He’s a precision, pinpoint punter, consistently pinning teams deep. The cut-ups are endless.
Despite his Australian background, he’s not a rugby punter that rolled out wide that would need adjusting at the NFL level. The only difference would be punting from a traditional NFL formation. At Georgia, the school used a shield punt. But that’s not really going to be an issue for Thorson. Punting is punting.
On tape, Thorson can occasionally out-kick his coverage, leading to touchbacks.
His biggest NFL concern, however, is holding. Thorson never held during his career at Georgia. He only served as a backup behind the starters, who were the quarterbacks. In 2024, he was slated to potentially appear after QB Carson Beck got hurt in the SEC Title game. But that’s the same game Thorson tore his ACL and MCL, knocking him out, too.
Holding is a critical component of punters, and every NFL team uses its starting punter for the role, something Thorson admitted in talking to our Ross McCorkle. It’s a job that can be learned. Pat McAfee had no holding experience in college, but Thorson needs a crash course and must prove he can do it. NFL teams will take a chance on him doing so.
Conclusion
Overall, Brett Thorson is a top-end punter with few flaws at his position. His ability to hold, however, will be critical to his NFL chances. If he can master that, Thorson will start for a long time.
My NFL comp is fellow Aussie Mitch Wishnowsky.
NFL Projection: Mid-Late Day Three
Steelers Depot Grade: 8.4 (Longtime Starter, would draft late Day Three)
Grade Range: N/A
Games Watched: 2024 & 2025 Cutups
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