Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | PUNT | YDS | AVG | LONG | IN20 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-8vs NC State | 5 | 227 | 45.4 | 63 | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 59-3vs Norfolk State | 2 | 108 | 54.0 | 61 | 2 | |
| Wk 3 | L 27-38vs West Virginia | 6 | 276 | 46.0 | 51 | 4 | |
| Total | 13 | 611 | 48.5 | 63 | 7 |
#38
Daniel Sparks
Senior punter for Virginia. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′7″ · 226 lb · Gadsden, AL · Gadsden City
The numbers
47
yards per punt · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 punts, 45.4 avg, vs NC State
Inside the 20 · 54%
0%field median 33%60%
7 of his 13 punts died inside the 20. The field median is about one in three, among 134 FBS punters with 5+ punts this season.
Swing playSwung Wake Forest from 18% to 44% to win.Wake Forest at Virginia · 16-9
The story
Senior punter for Virginia. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
The full story, with sourcesDaniel Sparks
Has a leg that can flip the field on one swing. Two head coaches in six seasons, at two different programs. All-ACC in 2025 was the third honor of his career.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
202210 games
- All-ACCsecond
202312 games
- All-ACC
202510 games
- All-ACCsecond
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-ACC · 2ND TEAM
All-ACC 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2020–2026
2 coaches2020
Virginia
Coaching transition mid-career: Bronco Mendenhall → Tony Elliott. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Game log
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–8
vs NC State
45.4 yards per punt · 5 punts · 1 inside the 20
Dominant 26-point win at home against NC State.
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +6 punts, +4 punts inside the 20.
Season context · Team result + system
2020UL Monroe0-10HC: Matt Viator · Pass-leaning
2022Virginia3-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2023Virginia3-9HC: Tony Elliott · Run-leaning
2024Virginia5-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2025Virginia11-3HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2026Virginia2-1HC: Tony Elliott · Run-heavy
How he plays
Play style
Has a leg that can flip the field on one swing.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
Virginia carries two punters; Sparks has taken all 13 punts.
The battery
Virginia’s specialists
- #49Jacob TannenbaumLong snapper · So.
- #50Wyatt RubinoffLong snapper · Jr.
- #39Zach ChristinatLong snapper · Jr.
- #38Daniel SparksPunter · Sr.13 punts · 47 avg · 7 inside the 20
- #99Elijah SlibeckPunter · Sr.
- #41Will BettridgeKicker · Sr.3 of 4 on field goals
- #90Aiden BellKicker · Fr.
- #43Chris MessmoreKicker · Fr.
- #14Tim HamannKicker · Fr.
DNA match
Player DNA
Cannon
Has a leg that can flip the field on one swing.
P
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Porter Wilson’s 2023 season.
82%match
All-ACC
Matches Porter on
Yards / punt
In-20 rate
Class year
Differs from Porter on
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Kai Kroeger's graduate season at South Carolina (2024).
79%match
1st-team All-American
Matches Kai on
Class year
In-20 rate
Weight
Differs from Kai on
Height (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Daniel Sparks
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology