Northern Arizona Media Relations will provide a position preview every day leading up to the season opener against Arizona State on Aug. 30. Aug. 22: Tight Ends; Aug. 23: Wide Receivers; Aug. 24: Offensive Line; Aug. 25: Quarterbacks; Aug. 26: Running Backs/Fullbacks; Aug. 27: Defensive Line; Aug. 28: Linebackers; Aug. 29: Secondary; Today: Kickers/Schedule.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – With the graduation of kicker Matt Myers and punter Drew Zamora, the Lumberjacks were destined to have new kickers in 2012. After a tight battle in fall camp, Head Coach Jerome Souers had a tough choice between junior Andy Wilder and freshman Ryan Hawkins for each job.

Wilder won the punting job and will handle kickoffs, while Hawkins will handle the place-kicking duties.

"The battle was intense because Andy and I were competing head-to-head with each other," said Hawkins. "In the end, Coach made the decision to start me and I am ready for it. It is an honor. I am ready to do some good things for this team and win some ball games."

A Sunrise Mountain product, Hawkins was a first-team all-state selection in 2010 and 2011 and was chosen to the AzFCA Top 25 All-State team in 2011. He recorded a personal-best long field goal of 61 yards in high school.

The Peoria, Ariz., product will start his first game just down the road from his hometown.

"It is awesome to have family and friends there to root me on," said Hawkins. "It is exciting."

Souers, who coaches the kickers, watched an intense battle all fall camp.

"The placekickers did a phenomenal job," said Souers. "They hit around 95 percent of everything we lined them up for and both of them were equally as accurate. It made it very tough. The deciding factor was Ryan Hawkins' ability to kick as well as Andy Wilder. In order for Andy to handle all three, it takes a tremendous amount of strain and wear and tear on the body through the course of 11 weeks. Ryan proved he can kick at the college level and he proved that."

The return duties will be handled by a solid group led by Taylor Malenfant. He will be joined by Austin Shanks, Lucky Dozier, Covaughn Deboskie-Johnsen and Randy Hale, Jr.

"If I am punt returning, I am going to do my best and hopefully break a couple," said Malenfant, who recorded 19 punt returns for 9.1 per return average to tank second in the Big Sky and 24^th in the FCS. "If I not, I am going to be up front blocking and stick to my man."