From a Rock M Nation preview of KU that is deeper than anything the big boys in print put out this year:
"Kansas ranked #63 overall in my special teams rankings last year. Marcus Herford was an oustanding kick returner, guaranteeing KU starting field position of at least the 30 or 35. He returns for 2008. I swear he's been at KU since at least 2001.
The rest of the unit, however, was average at best. They were #109 in net punting and #103 in punt returns, and as Mizzou fans can attest, Scott Webb wasn't the most reliable of kickers. He was better than he showed against Mizzou, but he was still only above average at best. Both Webb and punter Kyle Tucker are gone, and while neither is a tremendous loss, they still have to find capable replacements, and nobody on the roster has kicked/punted at the D1 level."
http://www.rockmnation.com/2008/8/12/591504/kansas-football-beyond-the
Never mind whether or not you agree with the assessment of Scott Webb or Kyle Tucker. The assumption is that due to inexperience -- the KU kicking game will not be as good in 2008. I'm already sold on Alonso Rojas so I'm feeling a lot better there. Is it conceivable that one of the three placekickers could actually be better than Scott Webb in year one? Pairing our defense up with a great punter is one thing, but adding something like an All-Big 12 type placekicker ... well that certainly could give us some room for error on the offensive side.