RCW: Football Special Teams Preview

Since day one Kansas head football coach David Beaty has preached about having an advantage in the third facet of the game, special teams.
 
“We’re going to win that third,” Beaty echoed in his first press conference at KU. “I’m excited about bringing a very aggressive style to Kansas.”
 
Teams that finish in the top third of the country in special teams production are generally good ball clubs. After a struggling showing in 2015 in that third phase, Beaty looks to find the answer in veteran coach Joe DeForest, whom he hired as his special teams coordinator.
 
Known nationally for his special teams expertise, DeForest brings with him 26 years of collegiate coaching experience, including having coached in 13 bowl games. He was named a Rivals.com Top-25 recruiter in 2004, 2006 and 2008, and has coached 28 all-conference performers, 10 All-Americans and 11 players who have gone on to play professionally. 
 
“His special teams units have been among the top in every category throughout his time in the Big 12,” Beaty said of DeForest. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will help our program moving forward.”
 
That progress begins with veteran kicker and lone returner Matthew Wyman. Midway through the 2015 season, Wyman took over all the kicking duties and became just one of four kickers in the FBS to handle all four kicking duties: kickoffs, punts, field goals and PATs.  Wyman’s leg has accounted for 90 points in his career with a career-long 52-yard strike under his belt.
 
Wyman is joined by a duo of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior transfers in kicker Gabriel Rui, and punter Cole Moos, as well as freshman rookie punter Kyle Thompson.
 
“We brought some new specialists in here, and they can hit it,” Beaty said of his kicking corps. “Playing good special teams requires you to be good at those positions. You’ve got to be good at kicking off. You’ve got to be good at punting. We have got some great competition there and Coach DeForest – that guy does a nice job with them.”
 
Rui scored 72 points and was the Golden Norsemen’s leading scorer in 2015 after connecting on 33-of-34 extra points and 13-of-14 field goals. Moos punted the ball 40 times for NEO for 1,514 yards and a 37.9 average, landing 12 punts inside the 20-yard line. The tandem was named to the All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference Second Team.
 
With an experienced leader and a quartet of quality legs to choose from, one thing is for certain for this group, they are going to have to #EarnIt.
 

Players to Watch

Cole Moos – #36

Junior | Punter
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
5-11 | 185
Bio Full Bio

• Named All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference Second Team in 2015.
• Punted 40 times for NEO for 1,514 yards and a 37.9 average.
• Landed 12 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Gabriel Rui – #39

Junior | Kicker
Hinton, Oklahoma
5-11 | 215
Bio Full Bio

• Named All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference Second Team in 2015.
• Leading scorer for the Golden Norsemen.
• Connected on 33-of-34 extra points and 13-of-14 field goals for NEO.

Kyle Thompson – #22

Freshman | Punter
El Cajon, California
6-4 | 205
Bio Full Bio

• Averaged 38.4 yards-per-punt on 23 attempts as a senior in 2015.
• Dropped five punts inside the 20-yard line.
• 2015 Blue Chip Report Kicker of the Year.
• 2014 Central CIF Kicker of the Year.

Matthew Wyman – #17

Senior | Kicker/Punter
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
6-1 | 225
Bio Full Bio

• One of four kickers in FBS to handle all four kicking duties for their team in 2015.
• Averaged 41.5 yards-per-punt.
• Has a career long field goal of 52 yards.
• Named Lou Groza Award “Star of the Week” his freshman season.