Max Bourke

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-4, 215 lbs.

Play Style

No game film or verified camp data could be found. Based on his background, expect a punter who can switch between end-over-end rugby kicks while rolling out and the traditional spiral from a pocket set. That versatility is why SEC programs keep signing Australians, because it limits return opportunities more than pure distance does. His size suggests he will rely on hang time over line-drive distance once his spiral is consistent.

Strengths

• Aussie rules background: he helped win the 2023 YJFL Division 1 premiership, and footy players kick the ball under pressure on nearly every possession. That usually gives Australian punters the rugby-style rollout and directional kicks that coaches want inside the 50.
• Size: a 6-4, 225-pound frame gives him the length to produce hang time and enough mass to hold up as a tackler on returns, which matters with today's spread punt shields.
• Multi-sport athlete: basketball and cricket point to hand-eye coordination and footwork that should help his catch-to-drop operation and handling of bad snaps.
• Built-in mentor: he joins Hudson Kaak, a fellow Australian, and Alex Golesh said publicly that he wants Bourke developing under Kaak. That shortens the learning curve on the American ball and the operation.

Areas to Improve

• Consistency with the American football: Aussie punters usually need time to adjust to the narrower ball, rhythm drops for the spiral, and a 2.0-second-or-faster get-off behind a long snapper. Nothing public shows where he is on these yet.
• Proving his numbers: he has no verified hang-time or distance data or camp results. Practice charting will decide where he stands against Kaak (42.0 average in 2025, eighth in the SEC) and John Alan McGuire.
• Directional pooch and coffin-corner control: SEC special teams coordinators want punts inside the 10 with no touchbacks. Footy kickers often have the touch for this, but he has to show it in game conditions.

College Projection

He will most likely sit behind senior Hudson Kaak in 2026, either redshirting or serving as a backup and situational directional punter. He should compete for the starting job when Kaak leaves after the season, which makes him the leading candidate to start in 2027. He has four years of eligibility, so if the transition goes well he could start for three years.

Best Fit

A program that runs a rugby-style or spread punt formation and values return prevention and placement over raw gross average. Auburn fits well: Kaak gives him an Australian mentor, the coaches are invested in him, and there is a clear opening after 2026.