SEMO football preview: Redhawks return specialists ready to react

This story is part of the Southeast Missouri State football preview series. Click here to read about how three of the Redhawks best specialists made their way to Southeast.

There's plenty of options for the Southeast Missouri State football team's kick and punt returners, and many of them have significant experience in one or both of the special teams roles.

The top options for the Redhawks' punt returner are senior receiver Peter Lloyd and junior receiver Tyler Manne.

Senior running back DeMichael Jackson is atop the depth chart for kickoff return while junior transfer running back Tremane McCullough and Lloyd also are viable options.

The ability to make decisions is a must for players in either returning role.

"We're back there and a lot of times those guys are by themselves," running backs coach and special teams coordinator Matt Martin said, "and maybe if we went after a punt block we're not going to be blocking for them so we always talk to those guys about having a hundred percent catch, and I don't care a lot of times if it's a fair catch as long as we get possession we're pretty happy with that."

The Redhawks averaged 7.6 yards per punt return last year behind only Murray State (14.2 yards) and Tennessee Tech (13.1) in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.

Manne had seven returns for 63 yards, including a career-long 38-yard punt return.

"He's in the right place at all times," Martin said. "He has very good ball skills and he's a very good decision maker."

Lloyd only had one punt return last year for zero yards but became a good kick return option midway through the season until his season came to an end with a broken leg.

"Peter Lloyd has got a little bit of the explosiveness that Tyler doesn't have but we're just going to make sure that he's 100 percent with his leg," Martin said. "I think he's pretty darn close to that."

Lloyd had 14 kickoff returns for 382 yards, including the team's best return with a 55-yarder against Murray State, which was his first game as a returner.

"It's very important we're back there on kickoff return to communicate on who's catching the ball and who's going to end up being the offside returner and going to be blocking," Martin said. "We've done a lot better job of that. I just look for those guys to be trustworthy and tough and when they get the ball we want to make sure and have 100 percent ball security and try to go and make a big play for our team."

Jackson had just one return for 21 yards as a junior.

McCullough averaged 27.9 yards per kick return at Arizona Western Community College last year. He had eight returns for 223 yards.

"Tremane kind of has that gear," Martin said. "He's extremely fast and extremely quick, and he's a guy that we're going to try and get back there and put him out in the open field because he's tough to tackle when he's out in the open field."

Southeast was fifth in the conference in kickoff returns, averaging 21.9 yards per return. Eastern Kentucky led the conference with an average of 23.2.

"[Cornerbacks] Coach [Melvin] Rice has done a great job with those guys and we've got very high expectations for them," Martin said. "We just ask them to compete at all times and do the things we ask them to do pre-snap and have their eyes in the right place and make sure that they have their feet up underneath them when they catch the football and are ready to make a play when they catch the ball."