2022 Fall Camp: First day of full pads and specialists preview

PROVO, Utah — BYU football donned full pads for the first time during fall camp in its sixth practice on Thursday.

View images from Thursday's practice in the gallery above or by clicking on the following link: Fall Camp BYU Photo Exposure Gallery

Specialists Preview

BYU’s special teams will be a two-pronged weapon in 2022 behind the experienced legs of kicker Jake Oldroyd and punter Ryan Rehkow.

Oldroyd, a fifth-year junior, is back and ready to kick more field goals after making 41 for his career, including five from 50 yards or more.

“I want to make everything,” Oldroyd said at BYU Football Media Day on June 22. “Missing is usually inevitable when you go through the whole season, you’re going to miss kicks here and there but I want to be able to bounce back effectively and always make the next one.”

The Southlake, Texas native began his BYU career in 2016 with a 33-yard game winner vs. Arizona and hasn’t looked back. Oldroyd went 9-of-13 on field goals and 42-of-43 on PATs in 2021 despite missing three games with injury. This followed a 2020 season in which he posted a perfect field goal mark at 13-of-13, good for second nationally. The Athletic, Associated Press and Phil Steele awarded Oldroyd’s 2020 campaign with All-America honors. National recognition follows the kicker into the 2022 season as well as Oldroyd made his third career appearance on the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list on July 26.

Oldroyd enters his final season at BYU holding the school’s records for both career consecutive field goals (16) and PATs made (73). The accounting major also ranks No. 2 all-time at BYU in career field goal percentage (75.9%, min. two seasons played), No. 4 in career PATs made (143), and No. 5 in both career field goals made (41) and career points kicking (47).

Even with these accomplishments, Oldroyd sees areas for improvement in 2022.

“I’d like to get my kickoffs a little bit more refined and consistent in terms of placement,” Oldroyd said. “I also want to improve our net kickoff yardage and, on a more broad scale, I would love the BYU long field goal record.”

With two career makes of 54 yards, Oldroyd is just three yards shy of surpassing Owen Pochman’s 56-yarder (2000) for the program record.

Justen Smith returns as back-up kicker in 2022 after making two field goals and 11 extra points during Oldroyd’s 2021 absences.

In what hopes to be a rare occurrence when BYU’s offense requires a punter, Ryan Rehkow will take the field prepared to pin the opponent deep in its own territory.

The 6-6, 235-pound sophomore from Veradale, Washington was named Pro Football Network Independent Punter of the Year and All-Independent First Team following a 2021 season in which he averaged 48.6 yards per boot and placed 16 of 40 attempts within the 20-yard line.

Despite these figures, Rehkow’s 3.1 punts per game fell short of qualifying him for national rankings where he would’ve landed No. 4 in the FBS.

After just two years with the Cougars, Rehkow holds the program’s record in career punting average at 47.1. Rehkow also rocketed a modern-day school record punt of 83 yards in BYU’s 27-17 win over No. 19 Arizona State in 2021. The Ray Guy Award preseason watch list featured Rehkow for the second time when its 2022 edition was released on July 26. 

In 2022, Rehkow seeks greater precision in his punts as well as improved coordination with the coverage team around him.

“I want to have a bigger focus on net punt yards. So, just being on the same page with my coverage team and putting them in the best spots to be able to limit those returns,” Rehkow said at BYU Football Media Day.

Rehkow also doubles as Oldroyd's place kick holder.

“I want to give Jake a perfect hold every time,” said Rehkow. “We’re striving for perfection.”

Redshirt freshman Cash Peterman provides a third kicking and punting option for the Cougars.

Two experienced long snappers return with Austin Riggs and Britton Hogan. Riggs has been a mainstay on the punt team as well as a regular on field goal and PAT units while Hogan has been a consistent performer on the field goal and PAT teams. Riggs’ younger brother Dalton joins the specialists as another snapper in 2022.

BYU projects veterans Hobbs Nyberg and Talmage Gunther along with newcomers Preston Rex and Parker Kingston as return specialists this season.

Nyberg averaged 9.6 yards per return on 23 punt returns last season. He had a season-long 42-yarder against South Florida and earned All-Independent Second Team honors by Pro Football Network.