UCLA 2025 Football Positional Power Rankings: Special Teams

A good sign that the UCLA Bruins football season is approaching is media days. On the days leading up to Big Ten Media Days, let's start a new series.

In this era of college football, it's often hard for the casual fan to keep up with which players play at which position. Through the transfer portal, recruiting, and various other factors, it's often unclear who sits atop the depth chart in various positions.

With that being said, let's go ahead and rank each player at each of UCLA's positions for the upcoming season -- tackling all of the special teams.

1. Mateen Bhaghani, Kicker, Junior

Bhaghani had a stellar sophomore season with the Bruins last year. He played in all 12 games last season as UCLA's primary place kicker and went 20-for-24 (83.3%) on field goal attempts and 20-for-20 (100%) on PAT attempts. He will undoubtedly retain his role as the Bruins' starting place kicker and is looking to build off an impressive 2024 season.

Against Iowa on Nov. 7 last year, he hit a 57-yard field goal, which was the second-longest kick in program history. His 20 field goals made were the most in the Big Ten Conference and 11th in all of college football, and his 57-yarder was the longest in the conference.

Overall, in his two seasons in college football with UCLA in 2024 and Cal in 2023, he has made 28 of his 33 field goals and is yet to miss an extra point kick in 49 attempts. He was named the Bruins' special teams player of the year last season.

2. Will Karoll, Punter, Junior

Karoll comes to Westwood as a transfer punter from Tulane. The Australian committed to the Bruins on May 5 after spending two seasons with the Green Wave. This is an important addition to the squad because it lightens the load of UCLA kicker Mateen Bhaghani, who had to punt as well.

In 2024, as Tulane's punter, Karoll punted 42 times for 1,796 yards, which was good for an average of 42.8 yards per kick. Eleven of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, and he had 11 other kicks that went at least 50 yards, including a long of 78.

The season prior, he punted 41 times for 1,798 total yards, which was good for an average of 43.9 yards per kick. He also had 13 punts that were at least 50 yards long and had 11 that were downed inside the 20-yard line.

If anything, Karoll comes in to lighten the load of Bhaghani, but it appears he's also a consistent punter and will provide some solid, reliable special teams play, which is often overlooked in today's game, but is very important.

3. Salem Abdul-Wahab, Long Snapper, Redshirt Junior

Abdul-Wahab was UCLA's only long snapper listed on its spring football roster and is the sole returner at the position. He has been with the Bruins for the last two seasons, playing in 11 games last season as UCLA's primary snapper on field goals and extra points. He didn't miss a single snap all year.

The redshirt junior didn't see any action in 2023. However, in 2022, with Northern Colorado, he played in 11 games as a long snapper and was even credited with one tackle.

4. Cash Peterman, Kicker/Punter, Senior

Peterman made waves when he transferred from Arizona to UCLA in May. Although he didn't get a single snap in Tucson, the kicker and punter brings in popularity as an influencer. He has over 441,000 followers on Instagram and over 72-thousand subscribers on YouTube.

He is currently slotted behind Bhaghani as a kicker and Will Karoll as punter, with two years of eligibility, so maybe he came to Westwood to get closer to the stars. The special teamer started his collegiate career at BYU, where he recorded two kickoffs in 2021.

5. Lennox Miller, Punter, Freshman Walk-on

Miller is a two-star walk-on from the class of 2025, according to 247Sports, but he is also a Composite three-star and is the fifth-ranked punter in the country in his class.

Miller was named to the 2025 Polynesian Bowl roster and comes into UCLA likely backing up Karoll and Arizona transfer punter/kicker Cash Peterman. Miller played high school at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California. The hometown kid committed to UCLA on Aug. 10, 2024.

6. Morrow Evans, Long Snapper, Redshirt Freshman

Evans is a redshirt freshman transfer from national champion Ohio State. He learned a lot in his lone year at Ohio State and is bringing it to Westwood. He could compete for a starting spot.

7. Halakilangi Muagututia Jr., Long Snapper, Freshman

Muagututia is a freshman out of the class of 2025 and is the No. 1 long snapper in the nation for the class. Slotted behind both Abdul-Wahab and Evans, he'll likely redshirt but set the precedent for the Bruins going after the No. 1 prospect at the position in the class of 2026, Giancarlo Cereghino.