Rhys Dakin punts in Soccer Shoes. The Aussie will be on Scholarship. Is raising Funds for Count the Kicks US, a Stillbirth Prevention Campaign
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Agreed. Plus, with the portal no one can predict how things will turn out.
Miller could be good enough to become number 1 kicker for Georgia or the current punter may go somewhere else for greener pastures. Just a tossup anymore.
Edit: just read Mepdog's post which explains most everything.
Last edited:
Has there ever been a punter with bigger shoes to fill?
His hair is so baller. Can we play “Wild Thing” when he comes out to punt??
From what I've read, it's possible for foreign players to make money from NIL through O-1 visas. I'm guessing Tory just decided it wasn't worth the hassle.
Story from today on our new punter.
Tyler Tachman
Des Moines Register
April 16, 2024
IOWA CITY — Rhys Dakin was sitting in an airport on his way to Iowa. Mind you, this was not an airport in Iowa. He was just making a stop in transit to the Hawkeye State.
Dakin was talking with his father. Which means his Australian accent was moving through the airwaves. Dakin was also wearing an Iowa hoodie. Apparently, that was enough clues for someone sitting near them to recognize the new Iowa punter.
“I guess,” Dakin says, “he put two and two together.”
This is the reality that Dakin is still getting used to. Yes, people know who he is. Yes, they want photos. No, punters aren’t some afterthought to Iowa fans.
“I’ve never experienced that,” Dakin said, referencing being recognized at the airport. “Just because I’m the punter. I’m sure at other schools it’s not like that. When the punter’s at the airport, you don’t really recognize him. But I’d definitely say that culture of like actual football here is second to none. It’s nothing like it is back in Australia.”
Dakin has a sizable responsibility on his hands. Or more appropriately, his leg. A member of Iowa’s 2024 recruiting class, the Australia native is in line to be Iowa’s next punter.
The punting culture in Iowa has taken on a life of its own. RAYGUN even makes shirts that read “Punting Is Winning” with the Australian continent below the words. The many opportunities to punt are due to the ineptitude of Iowa’s offense in recent years. But the excellence of Tory Taylor has also made it a trendy facet of the game.
Taylor etched a special place in Hawkeye lore. He had a tremendous career at Iowa, racking up more than 13,000 punting yards and winning last season’s Ray Guy Award (given annually to the nation's best punter). But the fan favorite is now heading to a professional career, meaning there is a void to fill.
It’s difficult to ignore the parallels between Taylor and Dakin. Both are punters. Both are from Melbourne, Australia. Taylor even asked Dakin if he wanted to wear his No. 9.
“I thought No. 9 was sick,” said Dakin, and in this case "sick" means "really great." He will indeed be wearing Taylor’s former digit.
This all feeds into the narrative of Dakin being another version of Taylor.
How can new Dakin follow the legendary path of Taylor? As Dakin sees it, actually not measuring his path to Taylor at all.
“I don’t really think it’s like a good thing to compare myself to Tory,” Dakin said. “Obviously, he’s achieved a lot of success here. But that’s probably up to you guys to judge. I think I’m just gonna be myself. I’m not really worried about what Tory is or any of that.”
Said kicker Drew Stevens: “We joke about it all the time. I don’t think he fully understands the position that he is taking over and the expectations. But I think that he doesn’t see it, he doesn’t feel it. And I think that’s honestly going to help him out in a lot of ways.”
Dakin was 18 when he stopped playing Australian rules football. He was injured and not having a very successful season. So he turned to punting and realized he had potential. He attended Prokick Australia, an organization that helps send specialists to the United States to play football.
Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods went to Australia to visit Dakin. At one point, they met at a cafe to talk.
“He was just telling me, like, I believe in you and want you to come here,” Dakin recalled of the conversation. “And sort of made it clear he’s not just here to look at me to punt. He wants to get to know me personally and, like, how I grew up, as well. More so just get to know me and how that helps him coach me.”
Dakin publicly announced his commitment to Iowa in December, even though he hadn’t yet visited campus. He did some of his own research via YouTube.
“I visited here when I got here,” Dakin said plainly.
Adjusting to a new environment has ranged wider than just being recognized.
“Definitely, the weather was the first thing, I’ve got to say,” Dakin says. “It’s definitely a lot colder and windier. A lot windier. Definitely the culture, the school, getting to know all the guys, as well.”
Said Stevens: “It’s just little funny stuff in the room — like little sayings. He’ll say like, 'You reckon?' It’s funny.”
“I remember he came out to train with us and he didn’t have any shorts on,” Stevens added. “It was just straight leggings. It was like, oh, well, I don’t know. I haven’t seen that before.”
As far as the actual punting goes, there was a brief window into Dakin’s capabilities during an open practice last week. He launched multiple missiles into the air. But it’s a different beast to do it in front of a packed Kinnick Stadium or, even more daunting, on the road. By Dakin's estimation, roughly 1,000 spectators are what he’s used to playing in front of.
Things are different now. For Dakin and for Iowa. Taylor is gone. Dakin is here.
And Dakin doesn’t need to be Taylor to make a name for himself.
“Every once in a while he’ll hit a ball, I’m like, OK, that’s impressive right there,” Stevens said. “But like I said, I feel like there’s a lot of fine-tuning he has to do. Like the raw talent is there. He can hammer the ball.”
Iowa football: How new punter Rhys Dakin can follow the path of Tory Taylor
Tyler TachmanDes Moines Register
April 16, 2024
IOWA CITY — Rhys Dakin was sitting in an airport on his way to Iowa. Mind you, this was not an airport in Iowa. He was just making a stop in transit to the Hawkeye State.
Dakin was talking with his father. Which means his Australian accent was moving through the airwaves. Dakin was also wearing an Iowa hoodie. Apparently, that was enough clues for someone sitting near them to recognize the new Iowa punter.
“I guess,” Dakin says, “he put two and two together.”
This is the reality that Dakin is still getting used to. Yes, people know who he is. Yes, they want photos. No, punters aren’t some afterthought to Iowa fans.
“I’ve never experienced that,” Dakin said, referencing being recognized at the airport. “Just because I’m the punter. I’m sure at other schools it’s not like that. When the punter’s at the airport, you don’t really recognize him. But I’d definitely say that culture of like actual football here is second to none. It’s nothing like it is back in Australia.”
Dakin has a sizable responsibility on his hands. Or more appropriately, his leg. A member of Iowa’s 2024 recruiting class, the Australia native is in line to be Iowa’s next punter.
The punting culture in Iowa has taken on a life of its own. RAYGUN even makes shirts that read “Punting Is Winning” with the Australian continent below the words. The many opportunities to punt are due to the ineptitude of Iowa’s offense in recent years. But the excellence of Tory Taylor has also made it a trendy facet of the game.
Taylor etched a special place in Hawkeye lore. He had a tremendous career at Iowa, racking up more than 13,000 punting yards and winning last season’s Ray Guy Award (given annually to the nation's best punter). But the fan favorite is now heading to a professional career, meaning there is a void to fill.
It’s difficult to ignore the parallels between Taylor and Dakin. Both are punters. Both are from Melbourne, Australia. Taylor even asked Dakin if he wanted to wear his No. 9.
“I thought No. 9 was sick,” said Dakin, and in this case "sick" means "really great." He will indeed be wearing Taylor’s former digit.
This all feeds into the narrative of Dakin being another version of Taylor.
How can new Dakin follow the legendary path of Taylor? As Dakin sees it, actually not measuring his path to Taylor at all.
“I don’t really think it’s like a good thing to compare myself to Tory,” Dakin said. “Obviously, he’s achieved a lot of success here. But that’s probably up to you guys to judge. I think I’m just gonna be myself. I’m not really worried about what Tory is or any of that.”
Said kicker Drew Stevens: “We joke about it all the time. I don’t think he fully understands the position that he is taking over and the expectations. But I think that he doesn’t see it, he doesn’t feel it. And I think that’s honestly going to help him out in a lot of ways.”
Dakin was 18 when he stopped playing Australian rules football. He was injured and not having a very successful season. So he turned to punting and realized he had potential. He attended Prokick Australia, an organization that helps send specialists to the United States to play football.
Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods went to Australia to visit Dakin. At one point, they met at a cafe to talk.
“He was just telling me, like, I believe in you and want you to come here,” Dakin recalled of the conversation. “And sort of made it clear he’s not just here to look at me to punt. He wants to get to know me personally and, like, how I grew up, as well. More so just get to know me and how that helps him coach me.”
Dakin publicly announced his commitment to Iowa in December, even though he hadn’t yet visited campus. He did some of his own research via YouTube.
“I visited here when I got here,” Dakin said plainly.
Adjusting to a new environment has ranged wider than just being recognized.
“Definitely, the weather was the first thing, I’ve got to say,” Dakin says. “It’s definitely a lot colder and windier. A lot windier. Definitely the culture, the school, getting to know all the guys, as well.”
Said Stevens: “It’s just little funny stuff in the room — like little sayings. He’ll say like, 'You reckon?' It’s funny.”
“I remember he came out to train with us and he didn’t have any shorts on,” Stevens added. “It was just straight leggings. It was like, oh, well, I don’t know. I haven’t seen that before.”
As far as the actual punting goes, there was a brief window into Dakin’s capabilities during an open practice last week. He launched multiple missiles into the air. But it’s a different beast to do it in front of a packed Kinnick Stadium or, even more daunting, on the road. By Dakin's estimation, roughly 1,000 spectators are what he’s used to playing in front of.
Things are different now. For Dakin and for Iowa. Taylor is gone. Dakin is here.
And Dakin doesn’t need to be Taylor to make a name for himself.
“Every once in a while he’ll hit a ball, I’m like, OK, that’s impressive right there,” Stevens said. “But like I said, I feel like there’s a lot of fine-tuning he has to do. Like the raw talent is there. He can hammer the ball.”
Iowa football: How new punter Rhys Dakin can follow the path of Tory Taylor
With Tory Taylor soon embarking on a professional career, Rhys Dakin is up next for Iowa.
www.hawkcentral.com
He better be prepared to hear the loudest cheers when he is announced during pregames!Story from today on our new punter.
Iowa football: How new punter Rhys Dakin can follow the path of Tory Taylor
Des Moines Register
April 16, 2024
IOWA CITY — Rhys Dakin was sitting in an airport on his way to Iowa. Mind you, this was not an airport in Iowa. He was just making a stop in transit to the Hawkeye State.
Dakin was talking with his father. Which means his Australian accent was moving through the airwaves. Dakin was also wearing an Iowa hoodie. Apparently, that was enough clues for someone sitting near them to recognize the new Iowa punter.
“I guess,” Dakin says, “he put two and two together.”
This is the reality that Dakin is still getting used to. Yes, people know who he is. Yes, they want photos. No, punters aren’t some afterthought to Iowa fans.
“I’ve never experienced that,” Dakin said, referencing being recognized at the airport. “Just because I’m the punter. I’m sure at other schools it’s not like that. When the punter’s at the airport, you don’t really recognize him. But I’d definitely say that culture of like actual football here is second to none. It’s nothing like it is back in Australia.”
Dakin has a sizable responsibility on his hands. Or more appropriately, his leg. A member of Iowa’s 2024 recruiting class, the Australia native is in line to be Iowa’s next punter.
The punting culture in Iowa has taken on a life of its own. RAYGUN even makes shirts that read “Punting Is Winning” with the Australian continent below the words. The many opportunities to punt are due to the ineptitude of Iowa’s offense in recent years. But the excellence of Tory Taylor has also made it a trendy facet of the game.
Taylor etched a special place in Hawkeye lore. He had a tremendous career at Iowa, racking up more than 13,000 punting yards and winning last season’s Ray Guy Award (given annually to the nation's best punter). But the fan favorite is now heading to a professional career, meaning there is a void to fill.
It’s difficult to ignore the parallels between Taylor and Dakin. Both are punters. Both are from Melbourne, Australia. Taylor even asked Dakin if he wanted to wear his No. 9.
“I thought No. 9 was sick,” said Dakin, and in this case "sick" means "really great." He will indeed be wearing Taylor’s former digit.
This all feeds into the narrative of Dakin being another version of Taylor.
How can new Dakin follow the legendary path of Taylor? As Dakin sees it, actually not measuring his path to Taylor at all.
“I don’t really think it’s like a good thing to compare myself to Tory,” Dakin said. “Obviously, he’s achieved a lot of success here. But that’s probably up to you guys to judge. I think I’m just gonna be myself. I’m not really worried about what Tory is or any of that.”
Said kicker Drew Stevens: “We joke about it all the time. I don’t think he fully understands the position that he is taking over and the expectations. But I think that he doesn’t see it, he doesn’t feel it. And I think that’s honestly going to help him out in a lot of ways.”
Dakin was 18 when he stopped playing Australian rules football. He was injured and not having a very successful season. So he turned to punting and realized he had potential. He attended Prokick Australia, an organization that helps send specialists to the United States to play football.
Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods went to Australia to visit Dakin. At one point, they met at a cafe to talk.
“He was just telling me, like, I believe in you and want you to come here,” Dakin recalled of the conversation. “And sort of made it clear he’s not just here to look at me to punt. He wants to get to know me personally and, like, how I grew up, as well. More so just get to know me and how that helps him coach me.”
Dakin publicly announced his commitment to Iowa in December, even though he hadn’t yet visited campus. He did some of his own research via YouTube.
“I visited here when I got here,” Dakin said plainly.
Adjusting to a new environment has ranged wider than just being recognized.
“Definitely, the weather was the first thing, I’ve got to say,” Dakin says. “It’s definitely a lot colder and windier. A lot windier. Definitely the culture, the school, getting to know all the guys, as well.”
Said Stevens: “It’s just little funny stuff in the room — like little sayings. He’ll say like, 'You reckon?' It’s funny.”
“I remember he came out to train with us and he didn’t have any shorts on,” Stevens added. “It was just straight leggings. It was like, oh, well, I don’t know. I haven’t seen that before.”
As far as the actual punting goes, there was a brief window into Dakin’s capabilities during an open practice last week. He launched multiple missiles into the air. But it’s a different beast to do it in front of a packed Kinnick Stadium or, even more daunting, on the road. By Dakin's estimation, roughly 1,000 spectators are what he’s used to playing in front of.
Things are different now. For Dakin and for Iowa. Taylor is gone. Dakin is here.
And Dakin doesn’t need to be Taylor to make a name for himself.
“Every once in a while he’ll hit a ball, I’m like, OK, that’s impressive right there,” Stevens said. “But like I said, I feel like there’s a lot of fine-tuning he has to do. Like the raw talent is there. He can hammer the ball.”
Iowa football: How new punter Rhys Dakin can follow the path of Tory Taylor
With Tory Taylor soon embarking on a professional career, Rhys Dakin is up next for Iowa.www.hawkcentral.com
Hopefully the pipeline to ProKick Australia will continue for a long time.
From Saturday's Kids Day:
From Saturday's Kids Day:
Good ball. Looks like 52-53 yards, roughly 4.8 hang. It would be fair catch 95% of the time. Inside the numbers, would like to see it on the numbers or outside the numbers. Good luck to him, hoping he can pick up where TT left off.
hopefully Rhys is more memorable than whoever that guy wasI feel for whoever came after Reggie Roby
Anthony Herron said the iowa coaches said Rys' leg is stronger than Tory's. Accuracy will be the next metric. Stevens and Dakins kicking can make a huge difference this year. Pinning oppenents deep and Drew's long field goals ( with accuracy)
