Up in today’s Georgia Tech Football 2021 signee profile is Ireland native, punter David Shanahan. Shanahan has spent about the last year training in Australia with ProKick Australia, the premier international kicking and punting academy. The academy with locations throughout Australia has consistently sent kickers and punters to the United States and has produced six Ray Guy award winners. The Jackets will hope Shanahan is next up in the line of special talent.
the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Shanahan is the only high school special team specialist the Jackets took in the 2021 recruiting class of 16 high school prospects. They also picked up Tennessee transfer Brent Cimaglia this past weekend. At Georgia Tech, the Kerry, Ireland product will look to replace All-American punter Pressley Harvin III, easily the best punter in the history of the program.
Highlights and what he brings to The Flats:
We were unable to actually find any video of Shanahan punting. The closest we found was a video on Facebook from RTE News regarding his commitment. That being said for a punter to earn a Power Five scholarship they usually possess a booming leg with the ability to at least hit punts in the 40-45 yard range consistently while also being able to place the ball accurately. Additionally, Shanahan is a lefty punter which will create challenges for punt returners who are not used to receiving punts off lefties, thanks to the difference in the ball’s motion.
His future on The Flats:
As a scholarship punter, Shanahan should be expected to and will likely be the Jackets starting punter as early as this upcoming season. If all goes to plan, he should be the Jackets starting punter, not just this year but for the next four years. At least that is the expectations that come when you are a specialist and are on scholarship. While he certainly will have high standards to live up to when compared to Pressley Harvin III, Shanahan by what we were able to gather has the talent to be quite the talent himself.