Four-Star Tight End Ryner Swanson Says BYU Was 'Dream School'

Just after Swanson committed to the Cougars, he left the country for a vacation. "I've heard from Coach Clark and Coach Roderick that BYU fans are just going crazy," Swanson said on the reaction from BYU fans after his commitment. "I'm really relieved that the recruiting process is all over. I was kind of over it...I'm really excited to be a Cougar. There really are nothing like BYU fans." 

Swanson will play his senior season before graduating early and enrolling at BYU in January. "I love BYU and I'm really excited. I'm really excited to go up in January," Swanson said. 

Committing to BYU was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Ryner and his family. "[BYU] actually has always been my dream school I think. So when I first got the offer, we were thinking that I would commit right there because that's my offer and that's where I'm gonna go."

Swanson decided to survey his options when schools like Oregon offered. "Once I saw Oregon, that's the one I was like, oh dang, this is pretty cool. I could have definitely seen myself at Texas...I'd say overall, the spirit led me to come here and the love that all the coaches have for their players. The vibe is unmatched, but it's a combination of football and the spirit that got me here."

On whether there was a moment that stood out most during his recruitment, Swanson was quick to mention BYU's win over Baylor in 2022. "The Baylor game," Swanson said. "When they beat Baylor, that was the best night of my life. I told myself, wow, I could be playing in front of all these people...when I make a touchdown catch, they will be going that crazy. That's where I wanna be...I just want to be a part of the football culture and hopefully make it to the NFL."

Throughout his recruitment, Swanson grew very close with BYU's staff. He grew especially close with tight ends coach Steve Clark. "I see Coach Clark as a great friend," Swanson said. "But also I treat him with a lot of respect. H's just a funny, amazing man. There's no one else that I'd rather be coached by than him...he's a great friend of mine, but I also treat him with a lot of respect."

Swanson will enroll at BYU in January of 2024. He will participate in Spring camp and play in 2024 before leaving to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU hopes to use Swanson as early as 2024 alongside guys like Jackson Bowers. "[Coach Roderick said] we need you to play. If you stay humble and, do everything that we say, it's a possibility that you could be our guy. He said I'm not promising anything because that's not what a good coach would do. But we want to start this process as soon as possible to get you to the NFL."

Speaking of NFL tight ends, Swanson said he models his game after All-Pro tight end George Kittle. "I love everything about his character and his playing style. He's a monster on the football field," Swanson said. "I look up to his speed, his blocking and his ability to make plays."

With his recruitment coming to a close, Swanson is moving his focus towards his senior season and graduating early. "I just want to be a monster my senior ear. I wanna break the receiving record. I've gotta finish online school to graduate early and that stuff. I just want to be a role model on the field and in the classroom and everywhere."

Swanson can do it all from the tight end position. He's a dynamic receiving threat with soft hands and he's dangerous after the catch. He has all the talent to be a multi-year starter and dynamic weapon for BYU's offense at tight end. Aaron Roderick's offense is very challenging to defend when a tight end can be both a blocking and receiving threat - that's exactly what Swanson will bring to BYU.

If BYU is going to compete for Big 12 championships, it needs to win more recruiting battles for the top LDS players. Getting Swanson is the kind of recruiting win that, if done consistently, will elevate BYU in its new conference. Swanson had some of the top programs in the country vying for his services, but BYU recruited him well enough to get him on board. BYU's offensive staff deserves a lot of credit for their recruitment of Swanson.