By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COLUMBUS - B.J. Sander is the heir apparent to Ohio State's punting position - and that's a good thing, coach Jim Tressel said.

Sander confirmed his kicking talent Thursday as spring practice began at Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

"B.J. Sander's a better punter than receiver," coach Jim Tressel said, smiling. "The one good laugh of the day was when he was running a route, and the ball kind of turned him upside down. He flopped like a brook trout on the bank."

Sander had to grin, too.

"I figured (Tressel) would tell everyone. Yeah, there's a little rust on those wide receiver routes," he said.

Not that Sander is fretting about job security. For the first time in two years, the punting job is his to lose.

The former Roger Bacon punter and place-kicker will replace All-American punter Andy Groom, who in turn replaced Sander two years ago.

Groom started the 2001 season as backup punter but became first-string by the third week. During the Buckeyes' national championship season, he led the Big Ten in punting and was fourth nationally with a 45-yard per punt average on 60 attempts.

Josh Huston and Brandon Schnittker also are being considered for the punting job, but assistant coach Bill Conley said left-footed Sanders is "the guy that has to be beaten out." Huston is the back-up place kicker and Schnittker, a fullback, has been trying punting sparingly.

"B.J. has as strong a leg as Andy had. The big thing will be how he performs in the heat of battle," Conley said. "He's worked hard on changing his steps, so he's getting the ball off a lot quicker and a lot more consistently."

Sander averaged 41.9 yards a punt on 37 tries during the 2000 season, something he plans to build on.

"The last couple years, I've been hitting the ball really well. It's just that Andy was hitting it a little bit better," Sander said.

Sander has been working on speed and consistency, two boons of his younger years. The fifth-year senior doesn't take the punting role for granted, but coaches concur he's the right fit.

"Last year it wouldn't have bothered me one bit if B.J. was in there punting, but Andy just happened to be doing well and having an extraordinary year," Tressel said.

Sander still holds the Ohio high school record for longest field goal made. He drilled a 60-yarder in Roger Bacon's 1998 win over Kettering Alter. A first-team All-Ohio selection as a senior, Sander averaged 40.4 yards a punt.

Things are calming down in the Fiesta Bowl's aftermath, Sander said.

He still visits Cincinnati every other weekend in the offseason to see his fiancÈe, Beth Niebling.

Sander proposed to Niebling, his Roger Bacon sweetheart, after the Buckeyes' 29-27 loss at Penn State, Oct. 27, 2001. The couple plans to marry next March.

Spring ball, which ends with the Scarlet and Gray game at Ohio Stadium April 26, means a return to normalcy, Sander said.

His goals for the spring?

"To do as good or better than (Groom). Last spring they told me the position was open, so I came in practicing hard, and I'm going to do that again," Sander said.

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E-mail srussell@enquirer.com

Sander's career playing time

Year	Games played	Games started	Minutes
1999	1	0	1
2000	12	0	17
2001	2	0	2
2002	0	0	0
Career	15	0	20