With Syracuse football training camp less than a month away, The Daily Orange beat writers, Chris Libonati, Jon Mettus and Matt Schneidman, will analyze one of the top 10 preseason storylines, top 10 position battles or reveal one of 10 player files each day. Check out dailyorange.com and follow along here to countdown to camp.

Position: Kicker
Year: Junior
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 193

Why he’s key: Before Scott Shafer was hoisted and carried around the Carrier Dome, Cole Murphy got the same treatment from his teammates. Offensive lineman Jason Emerich lifted Murphy up in the middle of his teammates because the kicker just hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to beat Boston College and send Shafer out on a high note.

Murphy returns for his third season in 2016 and for the first time he has the place-kicking job basically wrapped up. He was named to the 2016 Lou Groza Award Watch List — the award is given to the nation’s best kicker — on July 7. Murphy was a semifinalist for the award after his freshman season.

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MORE PRESEASON COVERAGE:

• Syracuse football position battle to watch, No. 10: Cordell Hudson vs. Juwan Dowels
• Syracuse football preseason storylines, No. 10: How SU’s tight ends will factor into this year’s offense

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The right-footed Murphy hit 16-of-22 (72.7 percent) field goals last season with a long of 49 yards. If the high point was his game-winner against BC, his low point was when he missed two 48-yard boots (one in triple overtime) as SU lost to Virginia in triple overtime.

Murphy’s accuracy was a bit down from his 13-of-16 (81.2 percent) freshman-year performance, when he walked onto the team.

With kickoff specialist Ryan Norton gone, that job could fall on Murphy, who took kickoffs his first season at SU. Sterling Hofrichter could also vie for kickoff duty, but it appears he’s moved to punting. The only other place kicker on the roster is Alex Grossman, who walked onto the team before spring practice this year.

Read more about Cole Murphy:

• Tim Daoust not concerned with Cole Murphy’s 2 deep misses against UVA
• Syracuse kicker Murphy named semifinalist for Lou Groza Award
• Murphy scores all of Syracuse’s points, can’t carry Orange past No. 21 Clemson in 16-6 loss
• Freshman walk-on kicker Murphy earns start against Notre Dame, begins to let loose
• Shafer explains Murphy earning top kicking spot against Notre Dame, says competition remains ongoing

Published on July 15, 2016 at 9:09 pm

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus