BYU · Big 12BYU Must Replace Five Special-Teams Pieces After Three-Year Run of Big Plays
BYU’s special teams helped decide roughly six games over the past three seasons, including wins over Utah, Colorado and Kansas State. Now a new coordinator must rebuild the operation around an untested kicker, punter, returner, holder and long snapper.
AUG 22, 2026
Approximate number of games BYU special teams helped win over the past three years.
Distance of Matthias Dunn’s field goal in the latest scrimmage and practice work.
Years Dunn has been in BYU’s program while waiting for his opportunity.
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
BYU special teams coordinator Justin Ena said his specialists are “on the right track” after a recent scrimmage and practice, but the Cougars are replacing nearly the entire core of last year’s operation. Kicker Will Ferrin, punter Sam Vander Haar and punt returner Parker Kingston are gone. Vander Haar also handled holding duties. Long snapper Garrison Grimes was waived by the New York Jets on Aug. 1, leaving that job open as well. Ena said presumed starting kicker Matthias Dunn and recently returned missionary Brody Laga are both performing well. Dunn made a 54-yard field goal in the latest work. Laga made a shorter attempt. Ena said Dunn is ready to take Ferrin’s place after five years in the program.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
BYU’s special teams produced field goals, return touchdowns and blocked kicks that helped swing roughly six games across the past three seasons. Utah, Colorado and Kansas State were among the teams burned by those plays. That production also helped Kelly Poppinga earn a promotion from special teams coordinator to defensive coordinator in January, replacing Jay Hill. Ena now inherits a group missing its kicker, punter, returner, holder and long snapper. The human part is straightforward. Dunn waited five years for this chance, while Laga is coming off a church mission. The football part is less forgiving. One loose snap or mistimed hold can erase a good kick.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The obvious concern is the kicker. The less obvious concern is the handoff between five jobs. A field goal unit can have a capable kicker and still fail if the snap arrives late, the hold sits wrong or the protection changes the launch point. BYU also loses the return threat that turned field position into points in past wins. That means the new group has to replace production and timing at the same time. Early practice results matter because these jobs are connected by fractions of a second. A 54-yard make can build confidence. It doesn’t prove the full operation is ready.
“But Poppinga’s unit didn’t win games through one specialist alone.”
The Wire Desk04 · The PersonnelNext Man Up
Dunn is the presumed starter at kicker, and Ena said he feels good about Dunn and Laga. That gives BYU a defined competition at one spot. It doesn’t settle the rest of the unit. The Cougars still need a punter, holder, punt returner and long snapper after losing the players who handled those jobs last season. No replacement has been announced for any of those positions. The projection here is that BYU’s camp work will be judged less by isolated makes than by clean full-unit periods. Dunn’s range matters. So does whether the snap, hold and protection arrive together. The return game carries its own test. Kingston’s replacement has to turn possession into field position without giving away the ball. The next meaningful signal will be a live sequence with the new kicker, snapper and holder operating as one group.
05 · The ChessboardWhat the Coaches Can Actually Change
The likeliest adjustment is a simpler field-goal operation early in the season. BYU can limit moving parts in protection, keep the holder’s spot consistent and build the snapper’s timing with Dunn before expanding the menu. On punts, the Cougars may value hang time and directional placement over maximum distance while the new return coverage settles. The return game could also start with safer decisions that preserve field position rather than chasing an immediate touchdown. Those are projections, not announced plans. The key football detail is the operation time from snap to kick. A new kicker can make the ball well. The unit still has to give him a repeatable picture.
06 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
BYU’s special-teams concern is moderate to severe right now because the turnover reaches every link in the chain. Dunn may be ready. Ena may have the group on the right track. Those are fair credits to the players and the new coordinator. But Poppinga’s unit didn’t win games through one specialist alone. It won through clean timing, field position and sudden plays. BYU has to rebuild all three without Ferrin, Vander Haar, Kingston or Grimes. The early practice report keeps this from being a crisis. It doesn’t make it solved. The first full game with Dunn behind a new snapper and holder will tell the story.
07 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Who wins the punter job?
Sam Vander Haar’s replacement has not been named. The answer will show whether BYU can protect field position while its new specialists gain experience.
Who handles the snap and hold?
Both roles are open after Vander Haar and Garrison Grimes left the operation. A stable pairing would give Dunn the repeatable timing every field-goal unit needs.
Does Dunn become the clear kicker?
Ena said Dunn and Laga are both doing well. A clear separation in later work would remove one competition before the season begins.
Who replaces Kingston as punt returner?
BYU has not identified the next returner. That choice will show whether the Cougars still have a field-position threat in that phase.