Two Candidates Emerge as Favorites for BYU Kicking Duties

The Cougars will likely need to find a new starting kicker and a new starting punter

Lavell Edwards Stadium | BYU Photo

BYU will likely have to replace both starting kickers in 2026. Kicker Will Ferrin has moved on to the NFL and punter Sam Vander Haar is out of eligibility. However, according to newly named special teams coordinator Justin Ena, Vander Haar is appealing for another year of eligibility.

If Vander Haar's appeal is denied, there is already a frontrunner to replace him: redshirt freshman Fuller Shurtz.

"We're trying to appeal something and seeing if it'll work and if it does, great," Ena said. "If not, it's going to be Fuller Shurtz right now as the number one punter, and I think he's done a pretty good job. I mean, consistently, he's got a big, big leg, and we hope to get Sam back as well, but I think Fuller's done a really good job too as well."

Shurtz, a Texas native, appeared in one game for BYU in 2025 against TCU. He had one punt for 41 yards in that game. He fumbled the snap on his second attempt and he didn't play after that.

Three-Man Competition at Kicker

At kicker, Matthias Dunn will be the starter to open Spring Camp and he should probably be considered the favorite at this point. However, there will be a battle for the starting job throughout the offseason. Dunn was the backup to Will Ferrin over the last two years. Behind Dunn, freshman kicker Ian Sanches will be the backup in Spring according to Ena. The Cougars will also add former signee Brody Laga in April. Laga signed with BYU as a scholarship kicker in the 2024 recruiting class. It's fairly uncommon for kickers to be given scholarships. With that in mind, the expectations for Laga will be high.

"It's wide open right now," Ena said on the battle for the starting kicker spot. BYU will kickoff Spring Camp at the end of February.

"With our kicker situation right now, it's Mathias Dunn as the number one in spring and we have Ian Sanches as his backup," Ena said. "It's wide open right now. We'll get Brody Laga back in April, and so he's going to be coming full force, ready to go too. So we have some talent, some big, big legs...We have some good personnel. We've got some talent and [I'm] excited to see them perform, not only during spring ball but fall as well."

The Cougars will kickoff spring camp later this month.