30 Aug 2023 Special Teams returnees are special

CONWAY, Ark. – For the first time in five years, University of Central Arkansas head coach Nathan Brown had to identify a new placekicker before the Bears open the 2023 season on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

Hayden Ray, statistically the top kicker in school history, exhausted his eligibility last fall after setting school records for career field goals with 44 and career extra points with 174. He is also the school’s most accurate point-after kicker in history, connecting on 174 of 176 (98.8 percent).

Brown knows as well as anyone how valuable a kicker like Ray can be.

“It’s the end of an era without Hayden Ray,” said Brown, who was the head coach throughout Ray’s career. “He passed the baton as being kind of the face of our special teams’ room for the last few years to (junior) Chandler Caughron. Chandler is so solid as a punter. And I’m so proud of Chandler because he came here as a kicker. We knew he could punt but really his main focus was kicking. 

“And out of necessity, he’s turned into an All-Conference punter. Chandler is a guy that… I can sleep well at night knowing that our punting situation is in great hands. He knows how to put the ball where it needs to be, he places it in good spots and gives our coverage units a chance. We know we’re in good shape there.”

Caughron, from Memphis (Tenn.) Evangel Christian, led the ASUN Conference in punting last season with a 42.4-yard average, which ranked 16th in the nation. His career average of 40.9 yards ranks third in school history.

The placekicking duties handled so ably by Ray for years will apparently fall to a pair of Jakes, returnee Jake Ward and transfer Jake Gaster. Ward, a junior from Bloomfield, Mich., kicked off for much of the past two seasons. Gaster is a junior from Frisco, Texas and transfer from Trinity Valley Community College.

Ward is expected to handle kickoffs while Gaster will be in charge of field goals and PATs.

“Ward did it last year, and a little bit the year before,” said Brown. “He has an extremely strong leg and is a guy who can get it in the end zone and will also put it where it needs to be with good hang time. 

“Gaster is an All-American we signed out of Trinity Valley Community College. And there’s been a really good competition for the placekicking job. We’ve tallied and marked and charted everything and had a true competition with those guys. They both have a ton of ability; they both have a really strong leg. I like the competition.

“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve had a kicking competition, so it’s been fun to watch.” 

UCA also lost snapper Justin Kiejers, a three-year starter at that position, to graduation.

“Kyle Gasaway is probably going to slot in as our starting deep snapper, battling with freshman Zach Anthony for the starting job,” said Brown. “That’s going to be new because Justin graduated. He was so solid for us for three years. Prepping a new snapper is never fun, but I feel confident in the guys we have there. “

As new and unproven as the kicking/snapping spots are, the return specialists may be as good as any in the country. Jarrod Barnes is an All-American punt returner and Christian RIchmond is just as dynamic on kickoff returns. Both seniors had two returns for touchdowns last season for the Bears, a statistic that you don’t see that often.

Barnes led the ASUN and ranked fourth in the nation last season with a 15.3-yard average on punt returns. Richmond was third in the ASUN and 16th nationally with a 25.8-yard kick return average. His career 1,196 kickoff return yards puts him third in UCA history. 

“Depending on what lists you look at, it could be potentially two All-Americans back there returning punts and kickoffs for us,” said Brown. “Jarrod is on just about all the punt return All-American lists and Christian has been on a couple on kick returns. So our return game is in great, great hands. 

“Jarrod will handle most of the punt return duties, and his backup will be Christian Richmond. Then kickoff returns will be Christian Richmond, and our off returner will be (All-American running back) ShunDerrickPowell. Let’s say you don’t want to kick it to Christian Richmond, then kick it over there to ShunDerrick Powell, the fastest guy on the team. That’s fun, huh?

“Bottom line is it resulted in four touchdowns for us last year. That’s huge. That’s hidden stats that can win games for you. So to have multiple returns for touchdowns, and then have both of those guys returning… that gets you excited and puts a smile on your face.”

Others who could also figure in the return game include sophomore receiver Tyion Berry, redshirt freshman receiver Manny Smith and junior all-purpose back Kylin James. 

“We have good options even behind Jarrod and Christian to get us down the field and score some touchdowns,” said Brown. “I think we’ve done a great job recruiting in the special teams room and I think we’re in great hands.”