Brett Thorson Booms Big at Senior Bowl, Shows NFL-Ready Poise
MOBILE, Ala. - With NFL scouts, GMs, and coaches lining the sidelines at the Panini Senior Bowl, Georgia punter Brett Thorson made sure they didn’t leave without hearing his name - or at least the sound of his punts echoing through the Gulf Coast air.
Thorson, a Ray Guy Award winner and one of the top punting prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, put on a clinic during Tuesday’s practice at Hancock-Whitney Stadium. His kicks weren’t just long - they were loud, high, and controlled.
The kind of punts that flip field position and momentum in a heartbeat. The kind that make special teams coordinators take notice.
He’s projected to go as high as the fourth round in April, and performances like this one are why.
But what stood out just as much as the booming kicks was Thorson’s grasp of the transition he’s making - from college football’s more open, spread-out special teams schemes to the tighter, more compact NFL system.
“The cadence and the protection - it’s different,” Thorson said after practice. “At UGA, the protection is more of a spread system. In the NFL, it’s more condensed, everything’s in the box.”
That’s not just a technical adjustment - it’s a mental one. The angles change, the timing tightens, and the margin for error shrinks. And Thorson’s already working through that shift, adjusting his field zones and directional placement to match the narrower NFL hashes.
“In college, the hashes are wider, so you’re punting from tighter angles. In the NFL, you’re trying to get it outside the numbers,” he explained. “Everyone is learning the NFL system - it’s not just me.”
Still, it’s clear Thorson is ahead of the curve. During Tuesday’s session, he uncorked punts of 53, 37, 56, 46, 53, and 47 yards - a display that drew audible reactions from the crowd. And while Michigan State’s Ryan Eckley may have had the longest punt of the day, launching one over 60 yards, Thorson wasn’t caught up in the stat sheet.
“There’s always a competitive element,” he said. “But you can’t get caught up in the numbers.
A punt can have so many different stories. You just do what you’re called on to do.”
That mindset - focused, grounded, and team-oriented - is exactly what NFL teams are looking for in a specialist. Thorson knows that a 60-yard bomb isn’t always the right call.
Sometimes it’s the 42-yard coffin corner, the high hang-time fair catch, or the punt that pins a returner inside the 10. It’s about situational execution, not just distance.
And it helps to have some familiar hands snapping the ball his way. Georgia long snapper Beau Gardner is also at the Senior Bowl, and the duo has picked up right where they left off in Athens.
“It absolutely makes a difference with Beau,” Thorson said. “That’s the guy I’ve had for two years.
I have great confidence knowing where the snap will be. I’m very thankful for him and how he looks out for me.”
Thorson and Gardner are joined in Mobile by Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette, as the Bulldogs continue their tradition of sending NFL-ready talent to the Senior Bowl. Thorson, still wearing the red-and-black Georgia helmet, is repping the ‘G’ one last time - and doing it in style.
The Senior Bowl game kicks off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network, but the practices are where scouts do the heavy lifting. And if Tuesday was any indication, Thorson is making the most of his moment.
He’ll have two more days - Wednesday and Thursday - to keep building momentum. But right now, he looks like a punter who’s not just ready for the next level. He’s already punting like he belongs there.