BYU Wide Receiver Parker Kingston Is In Line to Take Over Kickoff Return Duties
BYU punt returner Parker Kingston returns a punt for a touchdown against Kansas State
When BYU lost wide Keelan Marion to the transfer portal, they also lost an All-American kick returner. Marion had two kickoff returns for touchdowns last season including one against rival Utah in BYU’s 22-21 victory. Marion leaves big shoes to fill at the returning position and it looks like BYU punt returner Parker Kingston is in line to fill that role.
Kingston attended the BYU fan fest in St. George on Saturday. While there, he joined BYU Sports Nation to discuss the offseason and preview the upcoming season. On the departure of Marion, Kingston said, “It just gives me more of an opportunity this year to show what I can do at kick return now,” Kingston said.
When asked by Spencer Linton if that was the plan at kick return, Kingston said, “I’m hoping so. K-Pop reached out to me. Fesi told me. I’m probably going to be the kick returner this year…it gives me more time to get catches and stuff on the field too.”
Kingston has been a dynamic returner in his own right. Kingston took over the punt return duties late in the 2023 season and in 2024, he had two punt returns for touchdowns. His first punt return for a touchdown came in dramatic fashion against Kansas State. After bobbling the initial punt, Kingston scooped up the ball inside his own 10 yard-line and proceeded to take it all the way to the opposite sideline before taking off up the sideline. SportsCenter nominated Kingston’s return as a “play of the year candidate”.
Against Colorado, Kingston cruised past the Colorado special teams for the score. Kingston made the touchdown look easy. In fact, he looked so much faster than the Colorado defenders that Shannon Sharpe thought his tv glitched when watching it live. “I thought my tv had glitched,” Sharpe said. “I said man ain’t no way they moving that fast. That dude hit that cone on the punt return, I was like, ‘Is anyone going to get close to him?'”
PARKER. KINGSTON. ALL. THE. WAY.
Special teams played a pivotal role for BYU in 2024. The Cougars are hoping to build off that success in 2025 with the returns of player like Parker Kingston and Will Ferrin. Kingston has the chance to go down as one of the best punt returners in BYU history. He could add to that as the new kick returner.
