CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri's kicker and top scorer from last season, DC Pippin is back to lead the specialists in 2024.
 
Pippin led the Redhawks with 68 points on 11-of-14 field goals and a near-perfect 35-of-36 extra points during the 2023 campaign. Pippin was a flawless 6-of-6 on field goals ranging from 40 to 49 yards with a season-long of 48.
 
A native of Springfield, Illinois, Pippin was a Second-Team All-Big South-OVC pick last season and is among the Association's Players to Watch entering this year.
 
SEMO also brings back its starting punter from last season in Logan Leftrick.
 
Leftrick, who hails from Springfield, Tennessee, was named to the Football Championship Subdivision Punter of the Year Watch List. He is the only Big South-OVC punter on the initial list of 13 punters. The Augusta Sports Council presents the award to the nation's top punter in the FCS each year.
 
Statistically, Leftrick punted 52 times for 2,110 yards and averaged 39.8 yards per punt in 10 starts as a freshman. He dropped 18 of his punts inside the 20-yard line and had six of his kicks sail over 50 yards. Leftrick ranked fourth in the Big South-OVC in punting average, sixth in punts and sixth in punting yards.
 
Local product and Trinity Valley Community College transfer Ty Powers will back up Pippin at kicker and Adam Heston is behind Leftrick at punter.
 
Powers, from Cape Girardeau, attended Kelly High School and spent the last two seasons at Trinity Valley CC. He redshirted in 2022 before scoring 77 points on 38-of-39 PATs and 13-of-16 field goals a year ago.
 
Heston, who will also handle the holding duties, suffered a season-ending leg injury one game into the 2023 campaign.
 
Newcomer Peyton Knight is expected to take over at long and short snapper. Knight joins the Redhawks from Marian University.
 
Judd Cunningham is another option in the snapping department.
 
As far as returns go, Joedrick Lewis and Cam Pedro are the candidates on punts and Lewis and Kyron Downing are the return men on kickoffs.
 
Lewis ran back two punts for 17 yards last season.
 
Freshmen Danny Duray (kicker) and Caleb Fikejs (long snapper) add depth to the specialists.