But colleges dont scout kickers based on who makes the most high school field goals; they scout guys who come recommended by kicking coaches, who often assess only players who paid to go to their camps. He ran track as an underclassman at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, and recently told the Union-Tribune that the hurdles helped his footwork on punting. And remember, the Big Punt wasnt even Araizas longest punt of the year. However, his pass-blocking steadily improved throughout the final ten games of the season, and he finished with a. Leodalis De Vries, the next international star for Padres? Araiza is the highest drafted punter in program history and third Aztec punter selected in the NFL Draft, following Mike Saxon in 1984 (300th pick) and Wayne Ross in 1988 (315th pick). From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. Araiza is ready and raring to go wherever the next step on his journey takes him. In the past 22 years, there have been several third-round selections at punter. In the latest. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Behind guard Max Rices 12 straight points at the end, host Broncos score the games final 14 in the final five minutes to stun Aztecs, Stats and storylines to watch on Tuesday night, when San Diego State takes on Boise State at ExtraMile Arena, San Diego State sits on the cusp of a No. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. r collecting 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this past season. The crash took place before 3 a.m. on Jan. 15., just hours after the Bulldogs . If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. The San Diego, California native has a. as the Aztecs kicker. section: | slug: 2022-nfl-draft-shocker-bills-land-punt-god-matt-araiza-who-surprisingly-gets-taken-behind-two-other-punters | sport: football | route: article_single.us | He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. A hundred percent, a hundred percent, said Araiza, who watched the draft from home with family and friends. No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. What makes me a top prospect in this year's draft is my ability to aggressively attack the ball, play smart football, and contribute a relentless work ethic to make my team better. A fourth player, senior Daniel Bellinger, also took the next step in his career rather than return to SDSU for a super senior season. One theory on why he fell is because he's never held for extra point or field goals. In addition to his record-setting punting, he's drilled three 50-yard field goals, second most in college football, and has the fourth-longest average kickoff distance (65.0 yards). 2:39 pm ET. Two additional teammates will look to add to the recent list of secondary players who made the jump to the NFL after excelling at San Diego State. The former MVP has adapted and evolved to become an excellent conductor of Phillys offense. The Bills' selection at No. Cornerback Tayler Hawkins accepted an invite to the Hula Bowl, which takes place on January 15 in Orlando, FL. The Commanders might have found their future starting QB when they took Sam Howell in Round 5 -- but he wasn't the only potential gem in the 2022 NFL Draft. 18 Aztecs collapse in final minutes, fall at Boise State, Game preview: No. To demonstrate the rarified air that the San Diego State punter is kicking in, fellow NFL Draft prospect Jake Camarda has a career-long of 68 yards. When Araiza was younger, his brother took him out to a local field with some footballs and let him kick away. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza has a leg that can boot the football 80 yards. 1, Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, refused to sign with the Bills and instead inked a lucrative deal with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Angers cumulative yard per punt average in four years at California was 43.5, including a high of 45.6 in his junior season. Matt Araiza, the San Diego State punter, was one of the most exciting players in all of college football last season, booming kick after kick in a way the sport had never seen before. The Aztecs Punt God gained a national following for his record-setting exploits last season. In an interview earlier this month, Araiza told The San Diego Union-Tribune that in practice he sometimes boots the ball 68 yards in the air. One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State University's Matt Araiza. Plus, Nadine Smith on the Agendas Behind Wrestling Documentaries. But, thats not all Araiza can do. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. Broad jump 10 and 1 (or 121). He now holds the NCAA records for punting average in a season (51.19), punts over 50 yards (39), and punts over 60 yards (18). At some positions, NFL teams can struggle to identify the best players. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. at The Aztecs are 7-0 and have the nation's 5th-ranked defense with a potent rushing offense. I remember having some coaches pull me to the side and told me, Hey, if you take football seriously, with your leg you have a lot of potential. Averaging 51.19 yards per punt, Araiza is the all-time single-season average punt distance leader. When it comes to punters, the bigger surprise is that the Buccaneers took Camarda over Araiza. Could Aaron Rodgers help Christian Watson compete for hardware from the jump in Green Bay? Spent pretty much countless hours at that field with my Dad, just practicing all different types of stuff for soccer. Furthermore, it wasnt even a thought. He's the first SDSU player drafted by Buffalo since . Araiza set an NCAA record with a 51.19-yard punting average boosted by punts of 86 and 81 yards as well as a record 39 punts of 50-plus yards and 18 punts of 60-plus yards. Will Aidan Hutchinson supercharge the Lions' pass rush? But the San Diego State punter, nicknamed "Punt God" by Twitter and anyone that has seen his 80-yard moonshots for three seasons with the Aztecs, has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. He now holds the record for single-season punt average, with 51.19 yards per punt. The question mark on him will be whether he has the athleticism and the speed to hold up against quick, interior rushers in the NFL, said Brugler. 180 overall pick in the sixth round on Saturday. This punter would make the average opponent worse than the 2021 Jets, who score on 22.1 percent of their drives. Hes quick to find the football, and hes always in pursuit mode., Another attribute teams love about Thomas is his versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage. But as soon as Araiza started kicking, it became clear that he had a gift for it. 10-yard split time 1.61 seconds Of the 27 punters drafted in the past 15 seasons, just six of these players have made a Pro Bowl these six punters only made one Pro Bowl each. SIGN UP NOW: $1,000 risk-free on FanDuel Sportsbook! He was the San Diego sectional kicker of the year in all three years he kicked, and broke the county record for career field goals. Although drafting a punter often indicates this player will be the unquestioned starter, the position simply is not at a premium where the best at the position and an average player are not too far apart from one another. Bellinger recently signed with JB Sports, Inc., the same agency that represents San Francisco 49ers tight end, George Kittle. This seems like a cute questionthe football equivalent of asking someone whether theyd eat the worlds grossest food for a million dollars. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. The Buffalo Bills selected San Diego State punter Matt Araiza with the first pick of the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday. A story of soccer to San Diego, from punter to Punt God. Through the first 180 picks, there were more punters selected (3) than were taken in the entire 2021 draft combined (The Steelers selection of Pressley Harvin was the only punter pick last year). San Diego States Matt Araiza is having the greatest punting season in college football history. Youd think the players at Air Force would be used to dealing with airborne projectiles, but the punt returner just watched as the ball flew over his head. For context, two Pro Bowl punters are named each year, leaving about an 20% clip of the Pro Bowl punters in the last 15 seasons being players who were drafted. Show me in the rule book where it says a punter cant win the Heisman! Only one punter, Pressley Harvin III, was drafted last year, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 254th pick (7th round). With the new changes to the touchback rules, pretty much every kickoff is a touchback. I know what I bring to the NFL. "For a specialist, it's so random," Araiza said. Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career. He spent time at Qualcomm Stadium watching the San Diego Chargers, enjoying the passionate environment in person but still holding soccer in his heart. The 2022 NFL Draft surprisingly saw just one QB taken in the first two rounds, but that doesn't doom the entire crop to irrelevance. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Achieving a historic 12-win season and earning a spot in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings brought many advantages for the San Diego State Aztecs. I thought I was going to play soccer overseas in Europe, he says, so that was the goal for a while., Most kickers and punters specialize in their chosen paths from an early age. He has shown that he can line up on the inside shade of the guard, and he can win on the interior because he has that quickness, said Brugler. did he lead the nation in punting average, McCarthy discusses taking over Cowboys' play-calling, Brett Favre welfare funds scandal explained, Reich says Carr 'checks a lot of boxes' after meeting, Lewan explains why Titans put his things in trash bags, Cardinals hire ND's all-time rushing leader as RB coach, Commanders GM: Howell has every chance to win QB job. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. Araiza was chosen with the first pick in the sixth round, the 180th pick overall. I saw the first one (when Stout was selected). All four players have the talent to compete and excel at the next level. 21, 54 and 85. in this draft class last month. He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. He had an excellent showing in the combine, punting with stunning accuracy before impressing attendees with his sprinting. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. Of course you would use a first-round pick on the Punter That Was Promised. Punting you go out there and you swing as hard as you want.. Where most players have a left leg, the San Diego product has what can only be described as a cannon. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? As his team keeps winning games and his punts keep soaring over the heads of baffled punt returners, he also raises a question: Just how valuable can a punter truly be? Specialists often aren't taken until. It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. Bellinger began training with Jeremy Holt, Owner of AthELITE Performance, yesterday in Music City, USA, along with tight ends Chase Allen (Iowa State) and Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin) in preparation for the NFL Draft. You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. Draft doings The Chargers will arrive at the combine still armed with their original seven picks one in each round in the upcoming draft. His older brother has long thought so. So, Im going to try and do it as long as possible.. Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. It isnt much of a challenge anymore. I have started watching San Diego State games specifically to see Araiza punt. Their first three selections are Nos. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. In the past 25 years, the highest-drafted punter was Bryan Anger, selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 70th pick in the 3rd round. Its a loaded defensive end class, Brugler said. Camarda was not even a semifinalist for the award, not that pro scouts necessarily concern themselves with such things. He also boomed an 86-yarder against San Jose State at sea level. Jalen Carter Named Subject of Arrest Warrant After Fatal Crash That Killed Georgia Teammate, Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Prospects To Target at the NFL Combine Include Brian Branch, Nolan Smith, 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 25 Prospects Heading Into NFL Combine Include Jalen Carter, Brian Branch, and Bijan Robinson, Boston Colleges Jaiden Woodbey Is Less Tweener, More Swiss Army Knife. So, what's next for this group -- in 2022 and beyond? Mountain West Football: Who Had The Most Turnover Luck In 2022? Araiza is the closest thing in football history to a must-watch punter. In the latest CBS Sports mock draft published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. The social media explosion, and all the fans, the almost cult-like fans sometimes. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 22 San Diego State 73, New Mexico 71 the last play, Darrion Trammell and the Minnesota job, Lamont Butlers buzzer-beater quiets Lobos, earns SDSU at least a share of Mountain West Conference title, Game preview: No. "The coach I had for my first eight years in New Orleans, if I hit a punt over 55 yards, he was mad," Morstead said. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Bucky Brooks highlights 10 perfect rookie-team fits from the 2022 NFL Draft. A two-star recruit who was ranked as the 19th kicker in the class, he could have elevated his profile at one of the big-name kicking camps. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. A fifth-round selection for Araiza would not be particularly noteworthy in the history of punters taken in the NFL draft. Araiza managed six punts over 70 yards and two in excess of 80 yards. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is no ordinary prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. He. Araiza is the third punter in school history to be drafted, joining Mike Saxon (Detroit, 11th round, 1984) and Wayne Ross (Washington, 12th round, 1988). Araiza has as many 80-plus-yard punts in the past two weeks as every punter in the NFL has in the past 10 seasons combined. And opponents often have to go 90 yards against that incredible defense, because of Araizas amazing punts. Although it is important to recognize that some of these punters have not had as many seasons as others theyve competed against, some believe a player like Araiza should be one of the top NFL punters immediately upon entering the league. Ill kind of get to squash that whole warm-weather kicker thing.. In his Mock Draft 1.0 released on November 30, 2021, Brugler slotted Thomas to the Dallas Cowboys with the 25th pick of the first round, adding, Thomas has been nearly unblockable this season for the Aztecs, currently leading college football with 72 pressures.. Araiza addressed the issue at the NFL Combine and SDSUs Pro Day, where he boomed punts that had a hang time as much as 5.3 seconds (the NFL average is 4.3 seconds). According to Brugler, scouts are not overlooking Bellinger, understanding that the lack of production is more a by-product of the offense San Diego State ran than a lack of talent and ability by Bellinger. He could have even pursued a career in track after setting high school records in the 110m and 300m hurdles at Rancho Bernardo High School. Right now, that involves training hard and recovering sensibly. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Another attribute teams love about Thomas is his versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. And its not because its Jordan Stout. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. Matthew Ryan Araiza (born May 16, 2000) is an American football punter who is a free agent. February 28, 2023 6:16 pm SI NFL Draft Bible. Something went wrong. Plus Stetson and Duggan as Pros With Trent Dilfer (Bonus Episode). No one in our family had control over that. Pro Football Network, LLC. Certainly, a benefit for Araiza is his ability to also excel at kickoffs and handle place-kicking duties if necessary, providing more reason to use a middle-round pick on the Ray Guy Award winner. In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. The previous year, he punted five times for 249 yards, averaging 49.8 yards per punt. Will the Cowboys' big gamble pay off? 18 San Diego State at Boise State, Aztecs have plenty to play for at Boise State, even after clinching Mountain West title, 3 thoughts: No. This versatility only adds to his value heading into the NFL Draft since he can be the kickoff specialist as well as fill in as an emergency kicker should the starter suffer an injury during a game. He's expected to be one of the players chosen in the 2022 NFL draft next month. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. When I originally went out for the football team, it wasnt to be a kicker. Hand size 9 1/2 Hes also redefining how valuable punters can really be. Field Pos. It was a special team, and a special group I got to be a part of. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. The NFL Draft doesn't usually give us very many surprises when it comes to punting, but it came through with two big surprises on Saturday. In this years tight end class, Brugler ranked Ferguson 12th, one spot higher than Bellinger. The Aztecs are 7-0 and ranked 21st in the AP poll, with two wins over Pac-12 opponents. Thomas will have a chance to separate himself from other edge rushers in his tier as the draft process unfolds with the combine and private team workouts to prove he belongs in one of the top 32 spots., A redshirt junior entering this season, Thomas quickly showed scouts he is a pro prospect with his play to start the season. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. That was somewhat of a goal. Stout was among three finalists for the 2021 Ray Guy Award that went to Araiza as the nations top collegiate punter. Patriots coach Bill Belichick famously fetishizes lefty puntershe probably has a hard drive full of Araiza clips lying around his office. Are the Bears failing Justin Fields? The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. While Trenton Thompson has not been invited to either of the four end of season all-star bowl games, he will look to impress scouts throughout the draft process, starting with San Diego States pro day, annually held in March. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. Early success formed a catalyst for what was to come later. In 2019, he made 84.6% of his kicks. Only two punters since 1982 were drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft; Rohn Stark with the 34th pick in 1982 by the Baltimore Colts and Todd Sauerbrun with the 56th pick in 1995 by the Chicago Bears. Its the most Aztecs drafted since four were taken in 2012. But being at San Diego State for four years, really living it, it made me laugh that I even considered going anywhere else. Yes, thats right Araiza truly flipped the field for the Aztecs, changing the line-of-scrimmage from their own 11-yard-line to the 3-yard-line of the Spartans. In reality, he is an offensive weapon, the kind that ra-ra football coaches . As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". Three juniors, all local San Diego kids, were named to the Associated Press All-American Teams. Defensive end Cameron Thomas was chosen in the third round by Arizona and tight end Daniel Bellinger went in the fourth round to the New York Giants. It wasn't surprising that San Diego State punter Matt Araiza lasted until the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where the Buffalo Bills chose Araiza. I know how I did at the combine. Araiza will be selected early on Day Two, if not late in the first round. Well, that was just a way onto the football roster. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is unlike anyone who has ever played the position before. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? Punters dont try to make highlights. Bellinger recently signed with JB Sports, Inc., the same agency that represents, Dunkle declared for the NFL Draft after finishing the season with a. , the highest by an offensive lineman since Pro Football Focus (PFF) began tracking the metric. That group includes not only several picks taken inside the top 100 overall players, but also four players taken in the second round and another two taken in the first round. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. Playing sports is what I love. John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach and he has a better eye for punters and kickers than any other head coach in the NFL, so if he wanted Stout, you can bet he liked his punting style more than he liked Araiza's booming style. Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. The Big Punt traveled more than 80. Whats legacy, anyway? All that matters is watching him boom footballs as far as he can. Will another aggressive draft by Mickey Loomis pay off for the Saints? By Oliver Hodgkinson January 31, 2022 Jump around this article Click to show Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Waring caught 31 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, almost identical to Bellingers final season. By Ted McGovern The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. Did anyone nail their first three picks more than the Eagles? Araiza had the seasons longest punt, 86 yards against San Jose State. His big leg led him to being named the 2021 Ray Guy Award (nation's top punter) winner and a first-team AP All-American. pic.twitter.com/8W8mTfGHTj. But when the ball came off of his foot in the thin Rocky Mountain air of Colorado Springs, the San Diego State punter surprised even himself. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. But Araiza described them to me as not being fun or real football. As a result, he stayed close to home, a decision that has meant more to him than he ever knew. The man they call 'Punt God' is going to be the first punter off of the board in the upcoming draft and could go as early as Day 2. Over the past half-decade, 12 punters have been drafted. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. John Stark from Florida State made it into the second round, way back in 1982. With this one punt, Araiza won the college football weekend:. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. Not only did he lead the nation in punting average with an FBS-record 51.4 yards per punt, but he also had six punts of at least 70 yards in 2021, which was the most in the country. As Matt Araiza prepares to break positional norms in the 2022 NFL Draft class, his talents as a punter can be traced back to his roots at Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego. His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. His selection will depend more on his hangtime and ability to prevent big returns than his record-setting statsin the NFL, returners are faster and better, and might be able to get under the balls that are flying over college players heads. Should he be the Mountain West Player of the Year? Araizas potential as a kicker and punter was immediately obvious at Rancho Bernardo. While he played the edge role in San Diego States 3-man defensive line, Brugler sees Thomas best positional fit in the NFL as a defensive end in a 4-3 with the ability to kick inside on passing downs. DUDE HE PUNTED IT FROM THE END ZONE TO THE OPPOSING 18-YARD LINE ON THE FLYTHIS GUY IS THE GREATEST PUNTER OF ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/ED5OyqZ83k, Rancho Bernardo Alumni Matt Araiza with a 75 Yard Punt for SDSU pic.twitter.com/XPHfBMz468, Inexplicably, Matt Araiza did not win Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week despite having one of the best punting games in NCAA history. Those two picks were also somewhat surprising, if only because you almost never see two punters get taken that early With Stout going at 130th overall and Camarda going three picks later, this year marked just the third time since 1993 that two punters were taken before the end of the fourth round. Younger, his brother took him out to a local field with Dad... Various national media outlets the seasons longest punt, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected a defensive... Can boot the football team, and a special group I got be. This graphic, there have been several third-round selections at punter the seasons longest punt, ended! Show Matt Araiza is the all-time single-season average punt distance leader of 45.6 in his season..., California native has a hard drive full of Araiza clips lying his! Is having the greatest punting season in college football history Second round, the Bills only punted a of! 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