Archie Wilson is expected to be the starting punter at Nebraska during the 2025 college football season. His family will be rooting him on from Australia.
The true freshman specialist cannot wait to see them when they make the trip to Lincoln in a few weeks.
Wilson has been on the opposite end of the world for a few weeks now in preparation for his first year of college football. It is not easy to be so far away from home.
Who is Archie Wilson?
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound punter from Down Under was dubbed by local media as “the most interesting man in the world.” He is very quickly becoming a fan favorite through his kicks and his personality.
Wilson has the unique ability to kick with both feet. His left leg is technically more dominant but it is hard to tell the difference. The soon-to-be 19-year-old gives the Huskers a threat to roll out in either direction.
And when he is not punting, he can kick field goals with the best of them.
This unique skillset came to exist because of an ankle injury.
Archie Wilson played Aussie rules football for Haileybury College as a key defender. He grew up kicking mostly with his left foot. However, the injury to his left ankle made it so that he could still run and jump but not kick. As a result, he focused on his right side.
The rest is history. Wilson received a scholarship to play college football through the ProKick Australia program.
“The guy’s going to be a damn weapon,” said special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler.
His two-footed rugby-style operation allows him to roll to either side and hold the ball for an extra beat or two before he boots it downfield. That creates even more “artificial hangtime” for Nebraska gunners to get downfield.
“I’m telling you, when you look up at the end of the year at his body of work, you’re going to go, ‘Holy cow, this guy is the real deal,'” Ekeler added.
Not only can Wilson punt with two feet, his side-spinning “banana ball” creates a boomerang effect to effectively throw a curveball at returners. You never know what he is going to do next.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!
Archie Wilson was born and raised in Frankston South, Victoria, Australia. His home town is located approximately 9,440 miles away from Lincoln, Nebraska on the other side of the planet.
It is hard to be so far away from his friends and family. He broke down in tears during his press conference when asked about the distance between him and his people.
Fortunately, the Wilson family will spend a few weeks in the United States at the beginning of the season to watch the the two-footed punter start his career. Archie can’t wait.
I saw a lot of discourse on social media about the reporter’s question. Although I see how people could consider it to be disrespectful, to remind Wilson that his family is so far away, I don’t think it was asked with ill intent. The question just so happened to hit a heartstring. Archie Wilson showed real emotion.
Regardless of whether you love the Huskers or hate the Huskers, it is hard not to root for the guy!