Ryner Swanson has been making big plays for Cougars Deseret News

BYU's Ryner Swanson has made a bigger impact than he expected in his only year of college football before serving a two-year church mission to Kenya, but there is one who would want to play the 6-foot-1, 245-pound tight end. had back.

As far as catching goes, I think I did pretty well. On that second pass in the Kansas State game, though, I should have interfered with that nerd, he said of a low tackle by KSU's Keenan Garber. Yeah, he grabbed my knees pretty good. But I'm all fine.

Swanson, the former four-star recruit, has slowly emerged as a TE2 for the Cougars, especially in passing situations. He's doing exactly what the coaches said he would do when they recruited him out of Laguna Beach, California, beating out the likes of Alabama, Oregon, Utah and Washington for his services.

That promise was reflected in spring camp. Swanson enrolled early after catching 50 passes for 717 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season of prep ball, and has stood out in four games. Swanson's speed, size, agility and pass-catching ability have made it difficult for coaches to keep him off the field, even though the Cougars' 11-player room is packed with talent and skill.

It was cool, Swanson told the Deseret News on Wednesday as the No. 22 Cougars continued preparations for Saturday's Big 12 battle with Baylor (10 a.m. MDT, FS1) at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. I had been to a lot of fall camp (with a high ankle sprain), so I feel really fortunate to be getting the reps I did.

Swanson estimates he gets four to five reps per game, which he has converted into four catches for 35 yards, with a long of 14. He acknowledged he needs to become a better blocker to get on the field more.

“Any chance I get is great for a true freshman, and I'm very grateful,” he said. But I really need to work on my blocking technique in practice so I can play more games and hopefully help my team even more as a more well-rounded tight end.

New BYU tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride said as Swanson's game develops, especially when it comes to knowing his assignments and blocking for runs and passes, his time on the field will increase. BYU's top tight end is sixth-year senior Keanu Hill, who has made the transition from receiver to tight end quite seamlessly, thanks to an innate blocking ability that most pass catchers don't have.

Hill has six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in 2024.

Ryner continues to be used in specific roles, Gilbride said. We don't have him there just to have him there. We like where he is. Therefore, his reps increase. What we ask of him in terms of assignment is increasing. So you'll continue to see him in the game for run plays, pass plays, pass protection, and so on.

Gilbride knows tight end talent when he sees it, having coached tight ends in the NFL for the New York Giants (2010-17), Chicago Bears (2018-19) and Carolina Panthers (2021-22). The former BYU quarterback, who moved to Hawaii in 1999 after a year and a half in the BYU program, coached players like Victor Cruz and Evan Engram with the Giants.

Ryner sees growth because of his approach, the way he handled the offense, and now he knows the offense and now he continues to learn how to do his job. That's why we're allowed to put it (in many places), Gilbride said.

He has all the talent in the world. It's just a matter of him getting to know the position and the playbook, Gilbride continued. So because he is involved in improving in those places, we can ask him to do more and use his capabilities.

Called to serve and put football on hold

From the moment he committed to BYU in the summer of 2023, Swanson has said he would enroll early, play a season of college football and then leave on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Despite his success in spring camp, when coaches and teammates alike raved about his abilities and potential, he has steadfastly stuck to that plan. He submitted his mission papers (an application to serve, with approval from a church leader) in July and was called to the Kenya Nairobi Africa Mission in early September.

He will leave when BYU's season is over.

Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to serve a mission, he said.

He said it hasn't been easy to focus on football in recent weeks, knowing he would be away from the game for a few years, but some good conversations with his father, Boad, and with teammates who have served missions such as receiver Chase Roberts. have helped him keep the right perspective.

A few months ago, until a year ago, my father always caught me thinking about the following. “I would say, I'm so excited about football season, or I'm so excited about the mission, or I'm so excited to have a family of my own,” Swanson said.

My dad just told me that you should live every day as if it were your last, but in a good way. Keep the commandments, but have fun, he said. I want to appreciate every day and stay in the moment. So obviously I'm thinking about my mission.

I strive to be worthy, serve a mission, and be a better disciple of Jesus Christ every day. That hasn't changed, he continued. But right now I'm really focusing on football and how I can help the team and make myself better.

Welcome to college football moment

It didn't take long for Swanson to be welcomed into the college football world, and it was done no less by another true freshman.

During the first full-contact practice last spring, Swanson caught a screen pass, made some funky moves and then got plastered by freshman defenseman Ephraim Asiata.

He just shot me, Swanson said. I got a concussion on the first day with full pads. In high school you could do some stuff and get away with it, but in college you have to be very careful because these guys are going to come at you, and it's going to be ferocious.

This fall, Swanson is getting used to not being the main target like he was in high school. He credits veterans like Hill, Ethan Erickson and Mataata Taase for helping him make the right adjustments and maintain the right perspective.

There are currently 11 tight ends, and for a few of them, this is their last year, and they would like to play (more), Swanson said. So I'm so happy that Ethan Erickson is now one of the starters. I heard he didn't get much playing time last year and the years before that. I don't understand why, because he is a fantastic footballer. Really good blocker, great hands, great route runner.

Off the field, his moment of welcome to college happened a few weeks ago, and it had nothing to do with his mission call.

Swanson took five classes in the winter semester and did well, he said. He's had four this semester, most notably an Introduction to Accounting course, which is also proving to be quite tough.

Bookkeeping is very difficult, my hardest at the moment, he said. My life at the moment revolves around balancing football, watching movies and such, and trying to master accounting. It's a lot.