
Judge grants Oklahoma LB Heinecke extra year
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke granted an extra year of eligibility for 2026 after court ruling.

UCF punter Atticus Bertrams, originally from Sydney, Australia, has a lifelong passion for kicking sports. He transitioned from soccer and rugby to punting, finding success with the Knights.
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UCF punter Atticus Bertrams has always found his greatest joy in sports.
From the moment he first learned to walk, Bertramâs passion for kicking a ball was evident. With a love of soccer, rugby or football, he has consistently embraced every opportunity to showcase his skills.
It was something that just came naturally to Bertrams, particularly growing up in Sydney, Australia.
âThe easiest way to explain it is that Americans grow up throwing a ball to each other while we grow up kicking one,â Bertrams said with a laugh. âIâve had a ball on my foot since I could walk. Ask my dad, he was sick of it.
âIt was just something that came really naturally to me. I then made that transition to punting. Itâs just a different shape, so Iâve been able to work it out and itâs going pretty well so far.â
He credits his time at Prokick Australia, a longtime academy that helps develop individuals interested in becoming kickers and punters.
The organization helps secure college scholarships for its participants, including Max Duffy (USFL), Michael Dickson (Seattle Seahawks) and Mitch Wishnowsky (Buffalo Bills), as well as college punters Tom Hackett (Utah), Tom Hornsey (Memphis) and Alex Mastromanno (FSU).
Former UCF punter Mitch McCarthy (2022-24) also attended Prokick Australia.
Bertrams ended up at Wisconsin in 2023, where he averaged 42.8 yards on 155 punts in 37 games for the Badgers. After three seasons and seeking more guidance, he decided to seek a new opportunity and entered the transfer portal.
The 23-year-old senior was not a fan of the process.
âIt was terrible, but Iâm really, really happy with how it all ended up,â said Bertams. âIt was just hectic and itâs uncertain. I like having a plan and when you canât see two feet in front of you, it can be a bit daunting.â
Bertrams recalled flying back to the U.S. in the offseason, arriving in Dallas after a 17-hour flight, looking to make a connecting flight to Wisconsin, only to get a call from his agent as he stepped off the plane.
âI was not even off the jet bridge and my agent called and said, âDonât get on the plane to Madison. Youâre going to Orlando. Youâre going to UCF for a visit,'â Bertrams said. âAfter the visit, I got back to Madison, signed everything and moved out of my apartment and moved my whole life down to Florida in three days.â
Bertrams was sold on the Knights after meeting with special teams coordinator Pete Alamar.
âHeâs just a real guru of the specialist world,â said Bertrams. âHeâs been around it for so many years and thatâs quite rare. I know my time in Wisconsin, it was tough for them to find a coach to help specialists, which is the same in a lot of places, too. Itâs just uncommon that you get someone in Alamarâs position that can actually coach a kicker and a punter and a long snapper.
Atticus Bertrams is a punter for UCF, originally from Sydney, Australia.
Before punting, Atticus Bertrams played soccer and rugby.
Atticus Bertrams transitioned to punting by adapting his kicking skills from soccer and rugby to the different shape of a football.
Atticus Bertrams notes that while Americans grow up throwing a ball, Australians grow up kicking one, which influenced his natural ability in punting.

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âFor a guy in his last year trying to make a run at, you know, doing this longer past college, I couldnât ask for a better spot.â
âAtticus brings experience. Heâs a Big 10 player who has been there, done that,â said Alamar, who was looking to add another punter with the departure of Anthony Venneri, who averaged 40.7 yards on 48 punts last season for the Knights.
The past two national champions, Indiana (2025-26) and Ohio State (2024-25), both featured Australian punters: Mitch McCarthy for the Hoosiers and Joey McGuire for the Buckeyes.
âBoth are friends of mine. So Iâve had two friends win national championships,â said Bertrams. âIâve seen the rings and theyâre nice and big and shiny and cool. Itâs awesome. We were training together every day for the best part of three years during COVID, back in Australia. Itâs pretty surreal. One day, Iâll step back and think about all these memories that I have from training in a shed to kicking in front of 100,000 people. Itâs pretty, pretty cool.â
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinelâs Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.