Mitch McCarthy has an average of 43 yards on 115 career punts. He’s experienced. He’s punted in big environments, yet he wants to kick more big balls and help his team in a league that lives and dies on special teams.
“Big Ten football is known to be a special teams (or) specialist league.” McCarthy said in his Australian accent. “I know a lot of these schools are going to be bringing it. So being able to be quick with my times. Get more hang on the ball, help my banners. They’re probably that I need to probably try and perfect. But yeah, just being able to take it up from practice. Everyone’s good in practice.”
The Hoosiers need more consistency out of their punter in 2025, as James Evans struggled in big moments.
McCarthy transferred to Indiana from UCF over the winter and is a ProKick Australia alum, the third in a row for the Hoosiers. While he has plenty of experience playing American football he still needs to stay focused or he gets lost in the game.
“I think it is easy for me because I don’t have a choice, because I don’t know what is going on.” McCarthy explained after a fall camp practice. “So, if I get distracted and start looking around and start playing with the fairies, I will completely get lost. I am so nervous and locked in that I don’t miss anything. I will be attached to Mark’s [Langston] hip, and I will not move anywhere from him, because when he is going out, I am going out. I don’t really have a choice. I have to stay focused, or I will get lost.”
Being that locked into the game allows McCarthy deal with the pressure of punting in front of tens of thousands of fans every Saturday.
McCarthy has a career long punt of 64 yards and 39 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He can kick the big ball, but there will be more pressure in the Big Ten.
“It’s one thing to punt in practice, a little bit of pressure. It’s another thing to take it into a game and punt with 50,000 people screaming at you. I can kick big balls in practice. That’s fine. I can kick big balls on my own. Being able to hit a big ball in a game under pressure is a totally different kettle of fish.” McCarthy said.
McCarthy’s quest to punt the football longer started on the other side of the planet, in Australia.
“I’m always out there just trying to see how far I can kick the ball and I always had a big leg.” McCarthy explained. “And so as you do, as you’re a kid, you show off, so you show off what you can do. So I’m always after practice, I’m just kicking balls as far as I can. So I just love it. It sounds funny, but I just love kicking footballs.”
When a person loves something as much as Mitch McCarthy loves punting footballs, it makes it easier to go to practice and improve on the craft.
“I just just obsessed with kicking. I enjoy seeing where I’m having issues with and cleaning it up and getting better.” McCarthy said.
The Hoosiers punted 36 times last season, but late season struggles prevented Indiana from having a chance in their biggest two games. McCarthy is practicing to clear that up.