Jacksonville Jaguars special teams preview: Efficient unit led by Cam Little, Logan Cooke

Welcome to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ special teams: the most efficient unit on the team, dating back to 2018 when they plucked a rookie punter named Logan Cooke from Mississippi State in the seventh round.

Cooke is the only member of that draft class still with the team, and the only one to get a second contract (he has since signed another four-year extension and is the second-highest paid punter in the NFL). He had another banner year in 2024, finishing first in the AFC and second in the NFL in net punting (44.8 yards per attempt) and tied for fourth with 34 punts either dead, fair-caught or returners held inside the 20.

Cooke has the best career net punting average in the NFL at 43.5 yards.

Cooke is also the holder for second-year kicker Cam Little, who set the franchise rookie record for scoring with 108 points, on 27 of 29 field-goal attempts and all 27 of his conversions and was perfect in preseason games, making seven of seven attempts, four longer than 50 yards, including his 70-yarder against Pittsburgh.

Jacksonville Jaguars place kicker Cam Little (39), punter Logan Cooke (9) and long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) talk during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Snapping to Cooke on either punts or placekicks is six-year veteran Ross Matiscik, who has delivered the ball 616 times without a snap bad enough that a punt or kick couldn’t be attempted.

Add Parker Washington to the mix. He had the longest punt return for a touchdown in the NFL last season with his 96-yarder against New England. It was the first punt return for a score in the NFL’s London Series, since it began in 2007 and the first special teams score for the Jaguars since 2020.

The new Jaguars regime didn’t want to tamper with that kind of functionality. Special teams coordinator Heath Farwell and his primary assistant Luke Thompson were retained.

Farwell said his goal is always to find ways to help the offense and defense with his unit.

“How can we work hand-in-hand to help each other,” he said. “Hopefully, we can pin them deep in our coverage groups, whether it’s kickoff or punt and make teams go 80-plus [yards], 90 yards against our defense. And then offensively, I hope we can shorten some fields.”

It’s a process the special-teams players take seriously, even those who aspire to starting positions on offense and defense and are using special teams to stay on the field.

“It’s a lot of pride and a lot of work,” Matisick said. “It all starts with having Heath here and the next part is that we all really care about each other.”

Who’s new on Jaguars special teams?

The new faces will be seen mostly in coverage units. The team needs to replace downfield specialists Caleb Johnson (a team-high nine special-teams tackles in 2024) and Tim Jones and rookie safety Rayuan Lane III is a good candidate for the gunner on one side.

Other new faces on coverage units will be rookie linebacker Jack Kiser, free-agent signee Dennis Gardeck and possibly defensive end Danny Striggow. It isn’t clear what role new addition Tim Patrick might play, since his arrival in a trade resulted in possible return specialist Austin Trammell getting cut.

How improved will the Jaguars’ special teams be in 2025?

With the assumption that Cooke remains the force he’s been over the last seven years and Matisick continues to snap error-free, there’s a great opportunity for the Jaguars to get better across the board, especially if Little not only continues his remarkable accuracy but expands his distance up to and including the 70-yarder he made against the Steelers.

Jacksonville Jaguars place kicker Cam Little (39) is celebrated for his 70-yard field goal by safety Daniel Thomas (20), right, and others during the second quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

There’s little doubt Washington can make big plays on punt and kickoff returns but his effectiveness and even availability may depend on his use on offense. With Devin Duvernay gone, the Jaguars need to settle on other returners, with Tank Bigsby a likely candidate

Coverage could get better. The Jaguars were 14th in the NFL in both punt return defense and kickoff return defense, and in large measure that was helped by Cooke and Smith booting the ball in positions where there were no returns. The Jaguars’ draft class made the team faster overall, and that needs to translate to kick coverage.

What is the biggest question for Jaguars’ special teams ahead of the 2025 season?

A reliable returner needs to be found if Washington is limited or kept only on offense.

Why Cam Little will be the most important part of the special teams in 2025

If Little’s leg strength and range keep getting better, coach Liam Coen will have a tantalizing set of options every time the team approaches midfield. Will he be conservative with his play-calling, knowing he’s got three points in his back pocket? Or will he be more freewheeling, for the same reason?

Late-half and late-game situations will have a lot to do with Coen’s thinking. Weather also plays a factor: The Jaguars will have five road games in outdoor stadiums, but it goes the other way with four games in November and December in domed stadiums.

Defensive coordinators may be in a bit of a quandary because they won’t know how Coen will play it. Close to the vest or a roll or the dice? And it’s all because a 170-pound kicker can launch moon shots through the uprights.

Who’s the unsung hero of the Jaguars special teams?

It’s got to be Matiscik, even with his Pro Bowl and AP All-Pro recognition.

It’s not so much his flawless record for snapping the ball but his ability to snap, extricate himself from the pile of bodies in the middle and get downfield to help in coverage. Matiscik is tied for first in the NFL with 18 special teams tackles since entering the league in 2020, which raises the question of why Jaguars defensive coordinators in the past haven’t lobbied for the former Baylor linebacker to get some work on defense.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars special teams: It starts with punter Logan Cooke, kicker Cam Little

Jacksonville Jaguars special teams preview: Efficient unit led by Cam Little, Logan Cooke

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