The most feared weapon on the ISU football team might not come from the defensive or offensive side of the ball.

Kirby Van Der Kamp will be entering his fourth season as the punter for the Cyclones. This will be Van Der Kamp’s last year at Iowa State, but his first year as a captain.

The West Des Moines native has spent his summer garnering national attention for his ability to sway the opponent’s field position, as well as the momentum of the game.

Van Der Kamp’s career average of 42.8 yards per punt is the second-best in the history of the program. As a junior, Van Der Kamp downed 29 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Van Der Kamp was named a preseason All-American and Big 12 selection to go along with his name also appearing on the Ray Guy Award watch list.

“Kirby, without a doubt, is a weapon for our football team, and I will continue to state that I think he is the best punter in college football and is deserving to on the Ray Guy watch list and the preseason All-American list,” said coach Paul Rhoads.

However, Van Der Kamp is not allowing himself to become immersed in all of the preseason attention.

“It’s good to have all this attention during the preseason and everything, getting recognized for what I’m doing. But ultimately it comes down to me having to perform and live up to those expectations,” Van Der Kamp said. “I would say I have to focus in and do what I have always been doing.

“Ultimately, if I don’t perform, those awards mean nothing.”

Too close to call: Arceo and Netten compete for starting role

In a preseason entrenched with position battles, the battle at kicker is no different.

Redshirt freshman Cole Netten and senior Edwin Arceo have been pushing each other for the first week of practice, making if hard for Rhoads to make a definitive selection for the spot.

“(There has been) much more consistent work out of both those guys right now and that will probably be a game-week call,” Rhoads said.

Arceo held the kicking duties last season, hitting 12 of his 18 attempts with a long of 51 yards. He views the deciding factor in the battle coming down to one thing: Consistency.

“Camp is comparable to a season because it’s long, it’s hard and during the season you’ll have ups and downs,” Arceo said. “But it’s all about how you react.”

Netten realizes the importance of the competition, but at the end of the day, he also is cognizant of the bigger picture.

“Obviously, we’re both trying to get the starting position, but at the same time, we both know that. We go into practice not only fighting for the job, but also helping each other because we’re pretty good team players,” Netten said. “Whoever is put out there on the field, we’re going to want that person to do the best they can to help Iowa State succeed.”