Who will be the key special teams pieces in 2022?

BOULDER —Spring is over so it’s time for some rankings.

Colorado released its annual post-spring reps chart ahead of its spring showcase, but it took on a different form; instead of building a more traditional depth chart, the Buffs just created pods of players at each position and ordered them alphabetically.

Here’s what it looked like:

I figured we should make a more traditional depth chart.

I’m going to rank the top of each position in terms of how many snaps I think each player will play (obviously assuming full health). I’ve broken the roster up into four pieces so we can go through this exercise over four stories.

We’re wrapping things up with the special teams:

Kicker: 1. Cole Becker, 2. Mac Willis

This is a waste of space.

The Ice Man is your kicker.

Knock on wood, but Mac Willis would probably be the backup, though it could be Ashton Logan or Noah Hubbard. I honestly don’t know which of the three has the best leg, and we’ll pray we never have to find out.

Punter: 1. Ashton Logan, 2. Noah Hubbard

This one is even more clear cut.

Ashton Logan is the punter. He gray shirted last year. He’s the reason Josh Watts isn’t back.

The backup is Noah Hubbard.

Let’s move along.

Snapper: 1. Derek Bedell

I know what you’re thinking… what the hell are we doing here?

That’s fair. But I promise you’re only 19 words away from something much, much more interesting than the rest of this story to this point.

Derek Bedell is the long snapper.

Cameron Warchuk is the backup long snapper. What a good gig to have.

Kick Returner: 1. Nikko Reed, 2. Maurice Bell, 3. Deion Smith

Alright, here’s where things get a little more interesting.

Brenden Rice was the kick returner last year but he’s gone. When he was absent last season, Nikko Reed filled in and things went well. He finished the season with one kick return, 100 return yards and a touchdown. He’s the type of athlete you want back there and unseating him will be a challenge for everybody else.

Nikko Reed’s 2021 kick return stats:

1 return
100 yards
1 touchdown

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— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) May 13, 2022

Maurice Bell gets the second spot because he has the best chance of giving Reed a run for his money. That’s mostly because he was part of the return crew in 2020 but missed last season with an injury.

Deion Smith has also lined up deep, primarily serving as the returners escort. He has the speed to be a threat and his size won’t hurt either.

Punt Returner: 1. Nikko Reed, 2. Chase Penry

Nikko Reed is the favorite to take over as the punt returner as well, but the margins are slim. When Dimitri Stanley wasn’t able to go, Reed got one try and Chase Penry got two. Those two will be the primary characters in the competition, which could go either way.

Key Special Teamers: 1. Anthony Lyle, 2. Daniel Arias, 3. Toren Pittman, 4. Trevor Woods, 5. Mister Williams, 6. Nigel Bethel, 7. Austin Smith, 8. Jayle Stacks

This section is the big question and here’s why: six of the 10 players who played the most special teams snaps in 2021 are no longer with the program. (#2 Ray Robinson, #3 Alec Pell, #4 Jon Van Diest, #5 Jack Lamb, #7 Matt Lynch, #10 Mark Perry)

It’s hard to put guys in order here because there are so many factors: Does he play on every unit? How much of an impact does he have on which particular units? Is there room for his role to grow or will the team protect him because he’s an important part of the offense or defense?

My criteria is fairly simple: How big of an impact will you make on special teams this year, with all of those factors considered?

The top spot goes to Anthony Lyle for a couple of reasons. First, he played on every unit except the field goal teams last year, which was good for the most special teams snaps on the team. He received some significant snaps with the starters in the spring game, but he’s probably not in line for major playing time on defense this season. Plus, he was third on the team with 20 special teams points last season. (Special teams points is how CU quantifies performance on special teams. Players get credit for things like forcing fair catches, blocking kicks, making tackles, causing penalties, being the first downfield, knockdowns, springing blocks and others.) Lyle figures to be a central piece in 2022.

The second spot goes to Daniel Arias. He’s second all-time in forced fair catches at CU, second in first downfield credits and seventh in overall special teams points. He didn’t play on the kick coverage team last year but was a mainstay on the punt teams and kick return team. Regardless of his role on offense, the Buffs will keep one their special teams ace involved in the third phase of the game.

Toren Pittman gets the nod for the third spot on the list. He’s third in special teams snaps played last year, among players who will be back with the team in 2022. He finished second on the team in special teams points last year and his seven first downfield credits were the most on the team. For perspective, Arias was second with three. Pittman is a special physical specimen and his talents are best used on special teams, though he could crack the defensive lineup as well.

Trevor Woods is best remembered for his blocked punt against Arizona, which he returned for a touchdown, but he was used sparingly on special teams last season. Given his traits, it’s safe to assume he’ll play more this time around, especially considering safeties Ray Robinson and Mark Perry are gone and he should be able to pick up some of those reps. Look for him to crack the kick and punt coverage units in 2022.

Mister Williams is next up. Like Woods, he didn’t play much special teams last season but is in line for expanded duties in 2022. He tied for 28th on the team in special teams snaps but his five unassisted tackles were the most on the team and his 10 special teams points were seventh.

Nigel Bethel could be higher on this list but he could be in line for a top cornerback job, which could cut down how much he’ll be used on special teams. Bethel finished eighth in points despite missing half of the season with an injury.

Austin Smith makes the list for a couple of reasons. First of all, he’s big, strong and fast, which are the most important traits on kick and point coverage. He seems like a perfect fit. He’s also willing to play special teams, and actually approached the coaching staff late in his freshman season to ask for a role after he recovered from the injury that sat him down for 10 of the first 12 games. He picked up three snaps on the punt return over the final two weeks of the season and had a knockdown block on one of them. He’s a deep cut for the list but figures to be heavily involved in 2022.

Jayle Stacks makes the list because he’s a fullback and it’s always a good bet to say the fullback will be involved in special teams. He played a handful of snaps on the punt return team in 2021 but I’ll go out on a limb and say he plays more than that this time around.

Marvin Ham, Nikko Reed, Guy Thomas, Alvin Williams, Jaylon Jackson, Noah Wagner, Kaylin Moore and Isaiah Lewis are among the players who could easily have made this list.