Never was a fan of Arryn Siposs. I guess he was consistent. Consistently average. Maybe there's some stats that show other teams didn't get many returns on him...I don't know. But, I like the punter to be a bit of a weapon. Someone who can flip the field with a rocket shot. With Siposs it was, "Oh good, here comes another backwards spinning 37 yard kick." Gus must be good with it. AU Undercover.
The punter has landed.
According to multiple sources,
Oscar Chapman, an Australian punter who in July accepted an offer to play for the Tigers beginning this season, arrived in Auburn over the weekend.
Chapman, a 21-year-old standout with ProKick Australia, is expected to immediately challenge for playing time. He will have four years of eligibility with the Tigers.
ProKick Australia is the same organization through which Auburn landed its previous starting punter --
Arryn Siposs. With Siposs leaving early for the NFL (somewhat surprisingly) after the 2019 season, the Tigers had a major need at punter.
Chapman initially hoped to be in Auburn by Aug. 1, but those plans changed as he attempted to get his visa situation squared away.
"I got my visa sorted faster than I expected, which was amazing," Chapman told Auburn Undercover last week. "So relieved that it’s all sorted."
Chapman was born in Adelaide, south Australia.
"I’ve lived here my whole life," Chapman told Auburn Undercover in July. "I moved to Melbourne last year to train with ProKick Australia. I’ve been training (with ProKick Australia) for one year. I was playing semi-professional Aussie rules football before that."
According to Chapman, he is 6-feet-3, 210 pounds.
When Chapman arrives at Auburn, it will be his time stepping foot on campus there.
"I haven’t visited Auburn," he said. "I’ve done my research on the school and it’s incredible. I can’t wait to be there in person. My coaches --
Nathan Chapman and
John Smith -- from ProKick Australia thought that this college would be a perfect fit for me and it’s an opportunity I couldn’t say no to."
ProKick Australia has developed a high number of college and pro kickers in recent years. Siposs, a former professional
Australian rules footballer, had to switch sports because of injuries. He was trained to kick the American football by ProKick Australia and was a valuable player during his two seasons with the Tigers. He has since signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions of the NFL.