— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall holds its first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday, and members of the Thundering Herd special teams unit hope to make a difference in some of the action.
Marshall special teams coach Jackson White says punter Cooper Heimbach, kickers Jorge Diaz Nicolas and Samuel Krebs and kick returners, led by Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw, are promising.
“I feel really good about the guys,” White said. “They worked hard all summer and have improved a lot. The operation looks good and these are very talented guys.”
Turner-Bradshaw is already getting plenty of attention as he was a second-team Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference pick by league coaches.
Marshall had to start from scratch last winter on the kicking front after placekicker Lorcan Quinn and punter Nathan Totten left the program.
Diaz Nicolas transferred in from Virginia while Krebs is from Ireland and is from the same development program as Quinn.
Heimbach is a graduate of Wheelersburg High School in Ohio, which is 40 minutes from Huntington. He was a 2025 MaxPreps All-American.
“He’s working on kickoff, specifically,” White said. “He’s going to punt for us, obviously. If we need him to, he can be our field goal kicker. He’s a very talented guy and an athlete, because he used to play baseball.”
Heimbach graduated early from high school and has been around the Herd program since January, allowing him to take part in spring drills.
“I’ve gotten a lot stronger since being here,” Heimbach said. “I’ve seen it translate on the field right now with my kickoffs and punts. The extra work has led to big kicks in practice. All of us kickers are a good group and we have good chemistry.”
Heimbach says White’s support and more from teammates has provided a lift.
“I appreciate my coaches for believing in me,” Heimbach said. “Getting into these roles so early is huge, but I’ve put in the work for this. I love it here and I want to stay for all four years of my college career.”
As for Saturday’s scrimmage, White wants his kickers and returners to be intense and ready to perform on short notice.
“We’re getting in as many reps in practice as we can,” White said. “I want these guys to focus on one rep at a time like a game — running from the sideline onto the field and setting their line. It’s all live and we’re getting as much game prep as we can.”