FCS Stat Champions: Elon’s Jeff Yurk leads state, nation in punting average

Sometimes the transfer portal takes and sometimes it gives back. In the case of Elon football, it did both with punter Jeff Yurk.

After an All-American season in 2022, Yurk transferred from Elon to Pittsburgh of the ACC. But then, after just one year with the Panthers, Yurk came back to the Phoenix – and enjoyed another All-American season.

Yurk is more than just our All-North Carolina FCS Stat Champion for punting yards. He also finished as the top FCS punter in the nation, averaging 47.9 yards per boot in 2024. 

His average ranked third across all levels of NCAA football. Twenty-six of his 60 punts traveled 50 yards or more. Against Albany in week eight, he boomed a career-long 72-yarder. He also had a 68-yarder the following week against Hampton. Yurk put 19 punts inside opponents’ 20-yard line for the season, yet only sent four into the end zone for a touchback.

It is no surprise that Yurk is an All-American again. He has collected that honor from the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, FCS Football Central, Phil Steele and Stats Perform. This past week, he was named to the FCS ADA All-American team, which recognizes the top scholar-athletes in the nation.

North Carolina Central’s Juan Velarde finished as the FCS Stat Champion runner-up in our state in punting yardage. He averaged 44.8 yards per punt, tops in the MEAC. 

Among other honors, Velarde – who carries a 4.0 GPA – was named the 2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, which recognizes excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community among FCS players.

Six of the seven starting punters in FCS averaged at least 41.8 yards per boot. Yurk had the most total punts by far with 60. 

2024 FCS Stat Champions | Punting

Yards Per Punt | Season Leaders

• 47.9 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): 12 games, 60 punts, 2,871 yards
• 44.8 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): 11 games, 37 punts, 1,658 yards
• 43.3 – Adam Zouagui (Davidson): 11 games, 33 punts, 1,428 yards
• 41.9 – Stephen Brantley (Western Carolina): 12 games, 47 punts, 1,967 yards
• 41.8 – Nick Bigelow (Gardner-Webb): 12 games, 46 punts, 1,922 yards
• 41.3 – Jack Brady (Campbell): 12 games, 48 punts, 1,984 yards
• 37.5 – DJ Page (North Carolina A&T): 12 games, 48 punts, 1,801 yards
• * SOURCE: NCAA.com

Longest Punt | Single-Game Leaders

FCS punters in our state recorded 14 kicks that traveled 60 or more yards this past season. Yurk and Davidson’s Adam Zouagui tied for the state lead with 72-yard kicks. Zouagui’s long boot came in week seven at Dayton. Velarde had a 70-yarder this season against Morgan State.

• 72 – Adam Zouagui (Davidson): Week 7, at Dayton
• 72 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): Week 8, at Albany
• 70 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): Week 9, Morgan State
• 70 – DJ Page (North Carolina A&T): Week 11, at Villanova
• 68 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): Week 9, at Hampton
• 68 – Jack Brady (Campbell): Week 12, at Delaware
• 66 – Jack Brady (Campbell): Week 1, Liberty
• 65 – Stephen Brantley (Western Carolina): Week 11, at East Tennessee State
• 64 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): Week 4, East Tennessee State
• 62 – Nick Bigelow (Gardner-Webb): Week 4, at Presbyterian
• 62 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): Week 5, vs. Norfolk State
• 61 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): Week 7, Virginia-Lynchburg
• 60 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): Week 1, Duke
• 60 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): Week 2, at North Carolina Central

Punting Average | Single-Game Leaders (50+ ypp)

Velarde and Yurk dominated North Carolina FCS football in average single-game punting yardage. Stephen Brantley from Western Carolina and Davidson’s Zouagui also had games averaging better than 50 yards per punt.

• 61.0 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): 1 punt, 61 yards, vs. Virginia-Lynchburg in week 7
• 58.7 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): 3 punts, 176 yards, long punt of 70 yards, vs. Morgan State in week 9
• 57.0 – Stephen Brantley (Western Carolina): 1 punt, 57 yards, vs. Wofford in week 6
• 52.8 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): 6 punts, 317 yards, long punt of 58 yards, vs. Western Carolina in week 3
• 51.9 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): 7 punts, 363 yards, long punt of 60 yards, vs. Duke in week 1
• 51.7 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): 6 punts, 310 yards, long punt of 72 yards, at Albany in week 8
• 51.6 – Jeff Yurk (Elon): 9 punts, 464 yards, long punt of 68 yards, at Hampton in week 9
• 51.5 – Adam Zouagui (Davidson): 2 punts, 103 yards, long punt of 56 yards, vs. Catawba in week 2
• 50.0 – Juan Velarde (North Carolina Central): 2 punts, 100 yards, long punt of 50 yards, vs. Howard in week 12

Eric Lusk Publisher & Editor

Eric Lusk started NC Football News in 2023. He's an old newspaper guy with a fondness for underdogs, redemption stories and the triple-option offense. He's a proud graduate of Jesse O. Sanderson High School and UNC's School of Journalism. He's thankful for God's mercy, family and second chances.

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