UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following last season, senior punter and Melbourne, Australia, native Riley Thompson made the decision to transfer to Penn State after a stint at Florida Atlantic. Thompson connected with former Nittany Lion punter Daniel Pasquariello and they've developed a special bond so many other Australian punters share.
Thompson is 10,000 miles away from home in Happy Valley and has utilized the Australian punter pipeline to find success. Thompson is a product of the prominent Prokick Australia program that orchestrates the pipeline of talented punters from Australia to America.
"Having that connection and being able to bounce ideas, whether that's stuff you're struggling with or good things that happened and having people level you out, it's awesome," Thompson said. "I text so many different guys it's crazy…It just happens all the time. It's really awesome to have that connection because you can send a message to any Australian partner and I'm sure that they're going to reach out and have something good to say."
Thompson went to high school at Haileybury where he developed a close bond with Iowa's Tory Taylor. The two were able to share the field for the first time in the White Out since their Australian Rules Football days.
Thompson is a part of a large group text composed of Australian punters who have made the transition to college football. The 23-year-old has formed strong connections with other punters like Tennessee's Jackson Ross, Georgia's Brett Thorson, Indiana State's Harry Traum, Rutgers' Flynn Appleby and UCF's Mitch McCarthy.
According to Prokick Australia, 61 of 133 FBS teams have an Australian punter as seven of the last Ray Guy Award winners have come from Down Under. It's been a smooth transition for Thompson who's utilized skills from Australia where kicking reins king.
"I've been kicking a ball since I was four," Thompson said. "Coming over to kick, it's not really a huge transition, but like coming over to tackling pads and a helmet and things like that is really different. There are some guys that make the transition, but it's a lot harder when you've got people that have played the game their whole life and we're trying to pick it up in a year or so."
Thompson sought out Prokick Australia who helped him make the proper adjustments necessary to thrive in college football. Once Thompson made it to Penn State, he developed a quick relationship with roommates and redshirt sophomore kickers Gabriel Nwosu and Mitchell Groh.
Special teams coordinator Stacy Collins commented how Thompson has been able to find consistency in both the rugby style and the traditional pocket punt. Collins praised how Thompson is maintaining a strong "net punt average" that forces the opposing offense to start deep in their own territory.
Thompson entered the season on the Ray Guy Award watch list and has 10 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Thompson said that while "playing in front of 100,000 people is not something you get to do every day," he's playing for something bigger and is inspired by his family.
"My motivation, I've always said, is my family," Thompson said. "I don't want to let them down. I want to be the best person that I can be for myself as well and for Prokick as well. I want to help my teammates out every play. The better I punt, the better position the defense is in to make a big play. For me, there's so much motivation around, having my family come over and watch me play was just an unbelievable experience."
Senior kicker Alex Felkins and Thompson have grown close as "the two old guys in the group," said by the former. The pair of transfers have become impact performers for a special team group that's had a key impact through the first eight games in 2023.
Along with redshirt sophomore long snapper Tyler Duzansky, the trio of specialists have enhanced each other's craft and allowed Thompson to grow a keen level of confidence. Head coach James Franklin said how these types of players are difference makers and how Thompson has grown "comfortable" in the system.
"Special teams are highly driven by the specialists," Franklin said. "If you're snapper, punter, kicker, holder, those guys are high level guys, then you got a chance to be successful…As those guys have gotten more comfortable in their roles, and a bit more consistent, our special teams have improved. He's one of those guys that I think is really comfortable now with how we do things and how we operate and doing some nice things."
