PROVO — Final depth and rotation charts are being sorted out in earnest with BYU’s opener against Utah fast approaching. Some position battles are ongoing and will remain so throughout the season, but as for kick and punt returning duties, some clues were provided following Wednesday’s session.
“Right now it’s Aleva Hifo and Gunner Romney,” said BYU assistant head coach Ed Lamb. “It’s really down to those two, and I would say if there’s a third, that it’s Dax Milne. The problem with Dax is that he’s just lumped in with Gunner and they’re really similar.”
Hifo (5 foot 10, 187 pounds), a senior, was assumed to be involved in the punt and kick return game given he’s been involved in some capacity as a returner since his freshman year. As for Romney (6-3, 188), he’s new to returning kicks at BYU along with Milne (6-0, 187.)
“They’re both tall receivers with really good hands and good concentration,” Lamb said. “I feel that (Hifo) is a little more shifty than both those guys, but both (Romney and Milne) are hard-nosed and serious players that catch it and go forward, so we like that part of it.”
Lamb mentioned all three will be in the mix to return punts and kicks.
As for place-kicking and punting, Lamb feels he has some very good options, with one particular player taking the lead in both punting and kicking.
“I feel that Jake (Oldroyd) is kicking it the best in the punting spot and the field goal spot. But the depth chart changes daily,” Lamb said.
In regard to Danny Jones, Lamb believes he could be a factor punting the football in certain situations.
“He’s been uncanny in the pooch punt area,” Lamb said. “He puts a lot of punts dead within the 5-yard-line. It’s uncanny how he can get that done. So obviously we need to find opportunities to utilize that skill.”
As for kickoffs, Skyler Southam could be in the mix.
“His kickoffs have been amazing. He can put it in the back of the end zone, although that’s something we don’t want to use,” Lamb said. “We want to be a kickoff team that goes down and covers, and takes some risks, but to have that as a tool is tremendous.”