Alex Bacchetta, vying to compete for immediate punting role, to face 'pressure situations'

Former Penn State punter Blake Gillikin set a lofty standard for Alex Bacchetta before he’d even arrived on campus. Describing the Class of 2022’s No. 1-ranked punter in glowing terms, the now-New Orleans Saint left no room for misunderstanding.

Bacchetta is very, very good.

“Alex is probably the most talented high school punter I’ve ever been around,” Gillikin told BWI this spring. “He’s physically mature beyond his age and has an ideal frame already. I think the coaching staff will do a great job getting him mentally prepared to play. And I’ll be there for him to help with that too.

“I’m really excited for him and his opportunity to compete for the job as a true freshman.”

Alex Bacchetta’s resume

Penn State’s new special teams coordinator, Stacy Collins, is equally intrigued by the possibility.

Meeting with the media along with the rest of the Nittany Lions’ coaches last week, Collins acknowledged two realities of Bacchetta’s addition to campus. 

“He’s been working on his own. I’ve seen him kick over time through the recruiting process, but not here,” Collins said. “He’s got a big-time leg and we’re excited to see how he continues to progress through his time here.”

A three-time 3A all-state selection in Georgia, the Westminster School product arrived at Penn State last month with nearly every high school kicking accolade on his resume. Also the No. 8 kicker in the Class of 2022 according to Kohl’s Kicking, Bacchetta also earned MaxPreps All-American recognition. 

Penn State’s punting competition

The unanswered question for Penn State this summer is how that big-time leg might impact the punting or kickoff competition for the Nittany Lions ahead of the 2022 season.

To potentially earn a job at the onset of his Penn State career, though, Bacchetta will need to beat out other competitors vying for the opportunity in the room.

Barney Amor, a graduate transfer super senior, spent his first four years at Colgate before transferring to Penn State ahead of the 2021 season. Though he didn’t punt last season behind Jordan Stout, Amor was credited with having a strong spring, so much so that he was named the program’s special teams standout of the spring for “best demonstrating exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude, and improvement.”

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Gabe Nwosu is also in the mix, particularly after a strong showing in the Blue-White Game in April. 

Alex Bacchetta’s next steps

Determined to come up with the best option for the team at the position, Collins said Bacchetta will be tested from the start.

“If you look at how we set things up as we go through camp, he’s gonna get thrown into those situations right away,” Collins said. “And to me, I don’t even know if it’s the physical side of it, because I think you can get a pretty good handle on the physical side if the kid has that snap or not. It’s really the mental side of it.”

Adding that Bacchetta is well-suited to be able to perform thanks to his preparedness in both areas, Collins said the rigors of the moment hold their own unique challenges.

“He’s an extremely mature young man. But, how can you handle those pressure situations? How can you come back, maybe if things don’t go well on one of those points, at that time?” Collins said. “Those are the things that are unique when you truly get into the performance base of helping this team win a football game.”

In the wake of the loss of reigning Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten selection, finding Stout’s replacement is a question Penn State must answer.