Someone here already warned us that we have really had it good, but Kerley's graduation, he cautioned us, would be felt this year for two reasons. Obviously his ability on run-backs was the first. But, what the poster predicted we under appreciated was the second skill -- what he did NOt do...muff punts.
Kerley made sound fair catch decisions, and kept his cool back there. He didn't take any premature peeks at the coverage at the expense of losing sight on the ball. What looked to most of us like a ho-hum play -- the fair catch -- was really also an art form.
Folks, we were spoiled. We had an All-American and multiple All-MWC returner in that role. Of course he's going to be missed. The player complained of here is, what, a soph. Nobody can say the young man didn't play fearlessly in the returner's role. He has speed and a ton of guts back there. He was, thankfully for us, born with an extra helping of those two attributes.
He just needs us to cut him some slack, to develop the judgement that is an equally important quality. That, comes only with experience and time.