Hi mattrittman,
Please have a look at the attached file. This would be the simplest way I can think of to do it with Deformers.
Scene file:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/dUZW40TvCw68BcQASgpoqPLMFcae8dKyf108RBP3ewF?ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy
To make it easy to animate, I placed the parameter as HUB on the screen.
Note that the amount of points could be much lower (of the spline) if the spline is in the right set up. I left it as Primitive, so you can adjust anything.
A Pose Morph could be useful, just a thought.
Please note that the sequence of the Deformers is crucial and, as a side note, you might check out how much the Falloff [e.g., linear] could be useful.
My best wishes for your project.