photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas' Cole Moos (36) punts from the Jayhawks' end zone late in the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.

Kansas is in a prolonged slump in the kicker department, but has had better results with punters in most recent seasons.

Cole Moos averages 41.7 yards per punt, good for sixth in the Big 12. More hang time might result in a better net punting average of 37.5, ninth in the conference, but the punt team tacklers are at least partially responsible for that figure.

After the 49-7 loss to Baylor, Moos was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week afer averaging 50.3 points per game and drilling punts of 82 and 73 yards.

A junior, Moos came to Kansas from Northeast Oklahoma A&M College, a junior college.

It figures that Kansas has no trouble attracting punters to school. Athletes prefer playing to watching and at least until Kansas is able to recruit and develop quarterbacks and offensive linemen better than in recent years, the punter will get plenty of action. Moos’ nine punts at Oklahoma wasn’t even a season-high. He punted 10 times at Texas Tech.

Moos is no Trevor Pardula, who averaged 44 yards a punt in his two seasons, but is an upgrade from Eric Kahn, who averaged 34 punts a game last season.

Recruiting kickers isn’t as easy because athletes prefer playing to watching. Kansas ranks last in the Big 12 in touchdowns (19) and tied with Oklahoma for last in field goals (seven).

The Jayhawks have reason to believe they will have a more accurate field-goal kicker next season, having gained a verbal commitment from Liam Jones from Choctaw, Okla.