Arkansas redshirt junior punter Devin Bale waited in the wings of the Razorbacks’ special teams room during the 2023 season, and that patience is starting to pay off heading into 2024.
After transferring to Arkansas from Northern Colorado after the 2022 season and sitting behind Max Fletcher — who was Arkansas’ starting punter the previous two seasons — Bale is the favorite to win the starting punter job for the Razorbacks this season.
“When (Fletcher) left, I had great peace because (Fletcher and Bale) are both good punters,” special teams coordinator Scott Fountain told reporters Friday. “I didn’t think there’d be any drop off. I really feel like we have a great punter in Devin Bale.”
Fountain said Bale has started to come into his own and is now a leader for the Arkansas specialists heading into the season.
“Devin’s always been a very energetic kid, but he’s becoming a real leader for us,” Fountain said. “And I just hope that carries into the season. He’s started off with a real good camp so far, I’ve been pleased with him.”
Bale battled with Fletcher — along with true freshman and Cabot native Sam Dubwig — during spring practice in March and early April, though Fountain indicated earlier this year he was pushing for the starting job before Fletcher entered the portal anyway. Sitting behind Fletcher was a good learning experience for Bale, though.
"I got to compete with Max, who is a great punter and one of my really good friends," Bale said. "We competed hard. We learned from each other. I learned a lot from him. It was really awesome to sit back and take in the whole environment and learn from it.
"It’s very different going from Northern Colorado to here, so I think there’s positives to both. I redshirted last year, so I think it’s all working out. I took a lot from it and am very happy with it."
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The La Jolla, California, native came to Arkansas as a walk-on, but is now on scholarship. Head coach Sam Pittman called him into his office the same day Fletcher entered the transfer portal to deliver the news.
“I was in class actually when they called me,” Bale said. “I came in about an hour after and coach sat me down and broke me the news. I called my parents and let them know. It was a great feeling.”
Bale said he had been working towards a scholarship even before he came to Arkansas, as he was also a preferred walk-on at Northern Colorado.
“It’s a blessing, I’ve been working for it for three years, since freshman year,” Bale said. “Time’s paying off and I’m just very happy and very blessed and couldn’t be more thankful for coach Fountain and coach Pitt for them to give me the opportunity.”
The Arkansas Razorbacks will continue fall camp on Saturday in preparation for the season opener against UAPB in Little Rock on Aug. 29. Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest information about Arkansas football.
