Academic Notes: Earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical science with a minor in chemistry... Pursuing a master's degree... Five-time Big Sky All-Academic selection... Five-time Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award recipient... 2022 NFF Hampshire Honor Society

Career Highlights

Fall 2021: Played in all 11 games to conclude his Northern Arizona career... Averaged 43.6 yards per punt with a long of 63 yards... Booted 14 of 72 punts for 50 or more yards, including 21 inside the opponents 20 and 18 ended up as fair catches... Finished 14th in the FCS in punt average... Finished with 11,041 career punt yards, setting a new program record after Terry Belden held the mark since 1993... Played in 49 career games, tying for the most all-time with teammates Luis Aguilar and Tristen Vance... Finished fourth in the FCS among active players with 44.0 yards per punt... Earned 2021 All-Big Sky Honorable Mention from the conference and 2021 All-Big Sky Fourth Team from Phil Steele.

Spring 2021: Continued to serve as NAU’s primary punter, playing in all 5 games and attempting all 25 of the team’s punts in the spring... Averaged 44.0 yards per punt, with just 3 returned for 21 yards... Dropped 14 of his 25 punts inside the 20-yard line while 7 went for 50 or more yards... Opponents fair caught 12 of Arnson’s kicks, with only one landing in the end zone for a touchback... Produced his career long, and a Walkup Skydome record, with an 82-yard punt in the season finale against the Idaho Vandals... Ball pinned Idaho at its 1-yard line... Earned All-Big Sky Honorable Mention and FCS Punter of the Year following the spring season.

2019: Appeared in all 12 games for the Lumberjacks... Led the Big Sky Conference with a punt average of 45.8 yards... Total also finished 3rd in the FCS... Finished the season with 57 total punts and 2,612 punt yards... 16 punts went for more than 50 yards... 19 landed inside the 20 yard-line... Just 1 of his 57 punts landed in the end zone for a touchback... Recorded a punt of at least 60 yards in three games, with his season long of 65 coming at Illinois State (9/21) followed by a 64-yard punt against Portland State (10/26) and a 63-yard punt against Western New Mexico (9/14)... One play after his 63-yarder against Western New Mexico, NAU’s defense tackled the Mustangs in the end zone for a safety... Named All-Big Sky First Team at punter... Also earned All-American honors from Hero Sports (Third Team), STATS FCS (Third Team) and Phil Steele (Third Team)

2018: Ranked third nationally among all FCS punters with an average of 44.6 yards per boot...blasted a total of 16 punts 50 yards or further and pinned 15 inside the 20-yard line...had a long kick of 64 yards vs. Weber State (10/6) - one of three kicks of 60 or more yards...registered a total of 2,410 yards on 54 punts...had one kick blocked at Northern Colorado (10/20)...averaged 45.0 yards or more per punt in eight of 10 games...booted three kicks of 50 or more yards at Missouri State (9/15)...placed three kicks inside the 20-yard line in win over North Dakota (11/17).

2017: Was the Lumberjacks’ primary punter…Booted 43 punts for a total of 1,784 yards (41.5 average)…Posted only one touchback and forced 16 fair catches…had nine punts of over 50 yards and placed 14 kicks inside the 20-yard line…Averaged 52.0 yards on a pair of punts vs. Western Illinois (9/9)…Punted five times for an average of 41.6 yards at Cal Poly (9/23)…Had a season-high nine punts for 42.7 yard average vs. Illinois State (10/7), including four fair catches and four inside the 20-yard line….Blasted a season-long 69-yard punt in win at Portland State (10/14)…Had six punts total in win over UC Davis (10/21) and placed three inside the 20-yard line…Averaged 49.0 yards per punt, including a 57-yarder vs. Montana State (11/11).

Cochise Community College (Fall-16): Attended Cochise Community College for one semester before transferring to NAU Spring of 2017.

High School: Competed at Basha High School under head coach Bernie Busken…Was a four-year letter winner and starter at Basha HS...Earned All-Conference and All-State nods throughout his playing career...Also competed in track running; 400m and 200m sprints and 100m hurdles.

Personal: Born on May 29…Son of Derek and LaNeece…Father played for the Lumberjacks in the late 80’s early 90’s...Older sister Sydnee played volleyball at Virginia Tech...Was a US Service Academy appointee in 2014, but chose to serve a church service mission in Piracicaba, Brazil and speaks fluent Portuguese...Was a walk-on at NAU Spring 2017 and ultimately earned a scholarship after being away from football for two years...Life goal is to be a husband, father and a cardiologist.



Career Highs
Longest Punt: 69 (at Portland State • 10/14/17)
Most Punts: 9 (2X last at UC Davis • 11/3/18) 
Inside the 20: 4 (vs. Illinois State • 10/7/17) 
Fair Catches: 5 (vs. North Dakota • 11/17/18)