Even if he was not a nationally ranked specialist, Jet Toner would still be as focused, even obsessed, about the minutiae of his craft.

The Punahou kicker/punter knows his home base well. At Alexander Field, the switch from a grass field to a synthetic surface has changed the atmosphere.

“The wind used to come in from there,” he said, pointing to the hill sitting above the Diamond Head end zone. “Now it just swirls all over.”

The change hasn’t stopped Toner, who split the uprights on a 57-yard field goal during a preseason scrimmage against Farrington. He came on strong in the postseason for the Buffanblu last season. He was clutch against Kahuku in the HHSAA state semifinal round, nailing a 35-yard field goal to tie the game, then bombing a 48-yarder to give Punahou its go-ahead points with 1:17 left for a 13-10 victory.

In the championship game, he executed a career-best 53-yard field goal against Mililani. His five touchbacks on kickoffs were a key factor in Punahou’s rally, which came up just a bit short in a wild 53-45 defeat. But his mark was made. Toner was clearly, even among a crowded field of talented specialists, the best. With his snapper, Kevin Yoshimura, and holder, Judd Cockett, intact, Punahou had and still has arguably the best kicking unit in the state.

IN ONE OF THE state’s shortest schedules, just nine games — the ILH had just three teams in D-I until ‘Iolani moved up this year — Toner made six of his seven FG attempts and was 54-for-58 on PATs. Consider the multitude of deep kickoffs — 46 of 56 were touchbacks — it’s not hard to see why coaches and media selected him as an All-State first-team placekicker.

He may be as good as or better than his predecessor, Kaimi Fairbairn — now the starting kicker at UCLA. Both Fairbairn and Toner have refined their raw talent under the watchful eyes of former UH kicker Eric Hannum.

Renowned guru of kickers Chris Sailer ranks Toner as the top punter in the country and No. 3 kicker in the class of 2016, a five-star rating in his most recent evaluation (July). Sailer, who was also very high on Fairbairn, wrote this about Toner:

“Jet is an outstanding punting prospect. He is a great athlete with a great punting frame. Hits a big and consistent ball. The sky is the limit. Also a very good kicker. A fine young man with a great attitude and work ethic. Jet has a bright D-I college future ahead of him. Excellent combo prospect. OFFER NOW!!!”

It’s true enough. Even with Sailer’s two-thumbs-up approval, videos on YouTube, scintillating statistics and the obvious eye-test wow effect of his deep kickoffs, not a single scholarship offer has been made to Toner, who is also an All-State first-teamer in soccer. Punahou football coach Kale Ane thinks it’s just a matter of time.

“He’s made a lot of impressions and there’s a lot of interest in him, so that’s nice,” Ane said. “Any time you can put the ball in the end zone and have the other team start at the 20, especially with so many great returners in the state, it’s a great weapon for us.”

The ILH has potential game-breaking kick returners at every D-I program. Kamehameha, in particular, is possibly the best in the islands with Fatu Sua-Godinet and Kumoku Noa. Toner is as ready as he is competitive.

“His leadership, his coolness under pressure. His chemistry with the team is a strong point for us,” Ane said. “He’s always helping out at practice whenever he can.”

Toner has patience. An abundance of patience.

“Football doesn’t last forever, so I want to get a good education first. I’m going to wait it out and focus on our season goals,” he said. “With kickers, it’s harder to get scholarships. It’s a big decision to commit (to a kicker) for coaches, four years.”

Ane played in the NFL, where attitudes about the kicking game have come a long way.

“I think we’ve come to appreciate what kickers bring to the team and how they deal with the pressure. He’s able to kick field goals of 57-plus yards and punt with great hang time,” Ane said. “For a college coach, it’s worth the investment. It depends on the coach’s philosophy. They probably feel the same way, that Jet can change the game. Not having someone like that is huge.”

The one thing Ane is not going to change is Toner’s role.

“He’s just fun to be around. He wants to not just kick, but be the quarterback. And the receiver. Middle linebacker,” Ane said. “He brings a lot of that chemistry that you build on.”

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Voted on by coaches and media statewide. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.