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Ex-UCLA punter picks Texas Tech football in transfer portal
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- Ex-UCLA punter picks Texas Tech football in transfer portal
This story has been updated with confirmation from Texas Tech .
The Texas Tech football team got steady production the past two seasons from Australian punter Jack Burgess . With Burgess out of eligibility, the Red Raiders are preparing to replace him with another Australian punter.
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Will Karoll , who's averaged better than 43 yards as a three-year starter for Tulane and then UCLA , has signed with Texas Tech, the Red Raiders announced on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Karoll was a relatively late addition to the NCAA transfer portal, his name showing up on Jan. 9, the precise midpoint of the 15-day window for entry.
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Karoll, listed by UCLA as 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, has one year of eligibility. He's from Mosman, New South Wales, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. He was a trainee of the ProKick Australia program, which has supplied U.S. college teams with a huge supply of specialists.
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Karoll punted for Tulane in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to UCLA. In 2023, he averaged 43.9 yards on 41 punts, including 13 of at least 50 yards and 12 inside opponent 20-yard lines. In 2024, he averaged 42.8 yards on 42 punts, including 11 of at least 50 yards and 11 inside opponent 20-yard lines.
For UCLA this season, he averaged 43.5 yards on 44 punts. Eight went for 50 or more yards, and 13 ended up inside the 20.
He earned honorable mention all-conference recognition in 2023 and again in 2025.
What does UCLA transfer punter Will Karoll bring to Texas Tech football ?
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) hurdles UCLA Bruins punter Will Karoll (49) as linebacker Scott Taylor (20) watches in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Texas Tech signed Burgess out of the portal from Weber State, and he averaged 42.2 and 43.5 yards per punt in two seasons with the Red Raiders. Karoll seems a worthy heir. Presumably, the Tech staff expects a smooth transition, going from one Australian-style punter to another, their credentials and training background being similar.
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Tech starting punters have averaged at least 41 yards in 11 of the past 12 seasons. Karoll is equipped to uphold that standard.
He also checks off a gray area. Ian Hershey, Burgess's backup this season, punted 16 times in 2023 for Arizona State , but hasn't punted in a game the past two years.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ex-UCLA punter picks Texas Tech football in transfer portal
