Training camp preview: Nebraska seeks 'two wins a year' from its special teams

Below is a snapshot preview of Nebraska's special teams as the Huskers prepare to begin training camp. Here's who to watch, the prove-it players and the pecking order.
Who’s here
Long snapper: Marco Ortiz, Camden Witucki.
Kicker: Timmy Bleekrode, Spencer Pankratz, Tristan Alvano.
Punter: Brian Buschini, Jacob Hohl.
Who’s new
Nebraska's scholarship kicker in the 2023 recruiting class, Alvano, has arrived on campus after a stellar high school career at Omaha Westside.
Who’s hurt
No one. Buschini played through injuries late in the 2022 season but has since returned to full health.
Nebraska's special teams unit made significant progress last season, improving from the nation's No. 128-ranked unit in 2021 to No. 77 in 2022.
But, with new special teams coordinator Ed Foley in town, head coach Matt Rhule is hoping to see an even bigger impact out of Nebraska's special teams units. Rhule said in December that special teams “can win us two games a year," and it starts with the kick and punt return units.
Nebraska gained just 198 yards on punt returns and 270 yards on kick returns last season, good for bottom-15 marks among all FBS schools in both categories. The likes of Tommi Hill, Billy Kemp, Joshua Fleeks, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda and Zavier Betts should all contend for returner roles this fall.
Red-White Spring Game, 4.9
Nebraska returns starters at both kicker and punter, with Buschini locked into his starting role at punter once again. Bleekrode will battle Alvano in fall camp, with the veteran looking to hold off the incoming freshman. Ortiz, a Florida transfer, will step into the long snapper role immediately.
Prove-it player
A good long snapper is almost never noticed; a struggling long snapper is an obvious liability. Which will Marco Ortiz be for Nebraska this season? A fifth-year senior, Ortiz's only year of starting experience came in 2021 when he went the entire season without recording a muffed snap for Florida. After a season-ending injury in 2022, Ortiz will hope to bring the same level of consistency to Nebraska. Foley and the Huskers were quick to land Ortiz in the transfer portal, clearly believing he'd be a consistent, reliable long snapper for the entire season.
Walk-on to watch
Considering Buschini battled nagging injuries last season, Jacob Hohl could find himself in the spotlight eventually. The only other punter on Nebraska's roster, Hohl is a Lincoln Southwest graduate who transferred to Nebraska in 2022 after two seasons at Nebraska Wesleyan. Hohl will have to be ready as NU's backup punter.