5/30/2024 football Edit

Niki Dugandzic, the No. 1 punter in the nation, commits to Northwestern

Louie Vaccher • WildcatReport

Publisher

Nikola Dugandzic, the No. 1 punter in the nation for the 2025 class according to kicking authority Chris Sailer, committed to Northwestern on Friday.

Dugandzic, a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder, is a product of Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier, just up the road from the NU campus in Evanston.

"He's a special talent that doesn't come along often," Sailer said on ChrisSailerKicking.com.

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Offers are rare for punters out of high school, but Dugandzic is an exception. He drew scholarship offers from Illinois, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Army, Air Force and Harvard, among others, before he jumped on the opportunity to punt for the Wildcats.

According to Sailer, Dugandzic "averages 40+ yards, with 4.75+ hang time. His best balls measure 50+ yards, with 5.0+ hang time."

Northwestern ranked last in punting in the Big Ten last season, with an average of 38.2 yards per punt.

Dugandzic, who took an unofficial visit to NU in February, is the 11th member of the Wildcats' Class of 2025, a group that is currently ranked 35th in the nation by Rivals. He is the first special teamer in the class.