Arizona football season preview: Aspiring engineer, punter Ostendorp leads ST in '23

Arizona only has three scholarship players remaining from its 2019 recruiting class: Left tackle Jordan Morgan, running back Michael Wiley and punter Kyle Ostendorp.

Life beyond this season will present several options for Ostendorp, the Phoenix native who’s entering his senior year. The 2021 All-Pac-12 punter, who enters the season on the Ray Guy Award watch list, hopes to play in the NFL someday but will garner a master’s degree in aerospace engineering in December.

Balancing school and his starting role as Arizona’s punter for the last three seasons has “been tough to say the least,” Ostendorp said.

“Pretty much every single day is the exact same,” he said. “I try to stay disciplined with my studies. If I’m not doing football, then I’m at home studying, trying to get ready for homework or some kind of test.

“I have German parents, they’re always telling me education is important. Ever since I was growing up, I always had to have my homework done before I can play,” he added. “Obviously I want to go pro. That’s where my intention is and I’m working as hard as I can to go to the NFL. But if the lord doesn’t want that, then I’ll do aerospace.”

Ostendorp specializes in fluid mechanics and airflow, “like supersonic stuff.” Ostendorp is an aspiring aerodynamicist and hopes to work in Formula 1 racing, “working on cars and making them have higher downforce” and “shave times,” but the punter conceded it’s “a tough job to get into.”

On the gridiron, Ostendorp is Arizona’s first punter to have All-Pac-12 honors since Keenyn Crier in 2007. As a conference honorable mention last season, Ostendorp averaged 45.5 yards per punt and had three touchbacks and 10 punts pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line.

“You don’t need a high IQ to punt a football, you just gotta be consistent and do the same thing over and over again,” Ostendorp said. “Obviously if it’s windy, you can drive the ball or figure something is going to happen, but you don’t need to be an aerospace engineer to know that.”

Besides Ostendorp, here’s a look at Arizona’s special teams contributors for the 2023 season:

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Projected starters: Ostendorp, kicker Tyler Loop, long snapper Seth MacKellar, punt returner and “gunner” Jacob Cowing, kick returner Michael Wiley

Key reserves: Kicker Cash Peterman, kick returner Rayshon Luke, punt returner Tetairoa McMillan, kick returner Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine

The rundown: Ostendorp’s kicking counterpart, junior Tyler Loop, is . Loop hasn’t attempted any field goals over 50 yards during his Arizona career but has made 6 of 9 field goals between 40-49 yards.

“He’s always been a great long-range kicker,” Ostendorp said of Loop. “Ever since he stepped on campus, he’s been able to hit from 65 to 70 (yards).”

During Arizona’s scrimmage to conclude preseason training camp last week, Loop and Peterman, a Phoenix-area native and BYU transfer, combined to make 2 of 6 field-goal attempts. Peterman, who missed a 45- and 49-yarder in the scrimmage, made a 47-yard field goal.

Despite an up-and-down camp for Loop, “the continuity between (Loop and Ostendorp) is uncanny, quite honestly,” said UA special teams coordinator Jordan Paopao.

“I think as those guys are starting to get comfortable ... it’s kind of nice having coaches on the field,” Paopao said. “They can anticipate calls and know what’s coming and ultimately provide a lot of feedback with the playing experience they have.

“They find ways to make us better with their impact.”