Brett Thorson
| No. 47 – Minnesota Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position | Punter |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 6, 2000 Melbourne, Australia |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 237 lb (108 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | ProKick Australia |
| College | Georgia (2022–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| CFL draft | 2026G: 1st round, 7th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Brett James Thorson (born 6 January 2000) is an Australian professional American football punter for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2026.
Early life
[edit]Thorson attended the ProKick Australia academy. Working as a dairy farmer, he became a top punter recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, despite having never played American football.[1] He committed to play college football at the University of Georgia.[2][3]
College career
[edit]As a freshman in 2022, Thorson assumed the role of Georgia's starting punter. Against Tennessee, he recorded a career-long 75-yard punt.[4] He finished his freshman season with 36 punts for 1,620 yards, with an average of 45.0 yards.[5] As a sophomore in 2023, he totaled 32 punts for 1,403 yards, and an average of 43.8 yards per punt.[6] In 2024, Thorson was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award.[7] Against Tennessee, Thorson tackled Boo Carter during a punt return, potentially saving a touchdown, as Georgia went on to win 31–17.[8] In the 2024 SEC Championship Game, he was injured while attempting to make a tackle, requiring him to undergo surgery on his non-kicking leg, prematurely ending his season.[9][10]
Statistics
[edit]| Season | Team | Games | Punting | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Punts | Avg | Lng | Yds | ||
| 2022 | Georgia | 14 | 36 | 45.0 | 75 | 1,620 |
| 2023 | Georgia | 13 | 32 | 43.8 | 60 | 1,403 |
| 2024 | Georgia | 13 | 42 | 47.6 | 60 | 1,998 |
| 2025 | Georgia | 12 | 46 | 45.5 | 66 | 2,094 |
| Career | 52 | 156 | 45.6 | 75 | 7,115 | |
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | 30+3⁄8 in (0.77 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[11][12] | ||||||||||||
Thorson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL draft.[13] Additionally, he was drafted in the first round (7th overall) by the BC Lions in the 2026 CFL global draft.[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ Emerson, Seth (8 April 2021). "Meet Brett Thorson: The Australian dairy farmer who's set to become Georgia's next punter". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ Towers, Chip. "Aussie punter accepts Georgia scholarship offer". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ Johnson, Jeremy (31 March 2021). "UGA football continues hot streak on recruiting trail with another commitment". Online Athens. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ Healey, Catherine. "'Next stop … NFL!' US loses its mind over Aussie star's 'perfect' 68-metre punt". Herald Sun.
- ↑ "Brett Thorson, after trip back to Australia, gears up for Year 2 with Georgia football". Online Athens. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ "Punchlines and punts: How Brett Thorson is making his mark in America". South Gippsland Sentinel Times. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ "Georgia's Thorson among 2024 Ray Guy Award finalists". WJBF. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ "WATCH: Georgia punter Brett Thorson needles Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp during hilarious tackling presentation". CBSSports.com. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ Weiszer, Marc (9 December 2024). "Brett Thorson's Georgia football season is over. Here's what Bulldogs' new punter offers". Online Athens. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ↑ Thombs, Palmer (9 December 2024). "Brett Thorson injury update: Georgia punter done for season". On3. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ↑ "Brett Thorson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ "Brett Thorson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ "Vikings Agree to Terms with 2026 Undrafted Free Agents". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings. 25 April 2026. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Global draft tracker". Canadian Football League. Retrieved 9 March 2026.