Kicker, San Diego State, 2018–⁠21

Matt Araiza

Number
No. 2
Height
6′2″
Weight
205 lb
Class (2021)
Sophomore
Hometown
San Diego, CA
Born
May 16, 2000, in San Diego, California

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Matt Araiza played kicker at San Diego State (2018–⁠21). He won the 2021 Ray Guy Award. He was a consensus All‑American in 2021. The Buffalo Bills took Araiza in round 6, No. 180 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
22
Field goals made, 2019 (San Diego State, 10–⁠3)
Drafted
No. 180
Round 6, 2022 NFL Draft (Buffalo Bills)

Career highs

3field goals, career highthree times; last vs. Nevada, 2021

Honors

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Kicking

Field goals made, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamFGMFGAPctLongXPPts
2019San Diego State222684.6482894
2020San Diego State101471.4482353
2021San Diego State182864.3534599
Career506873.55396246

Punting

SeasonTeamPuntsYdsAvgLongIn 20
2018San Diego State13636.0360
2020San Diego State524949.8582
2021San Diego State794,04451.28638
Career854,32950.98640

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2020San Diego State220000
2021San Diego State430000
Career650000

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018San Diego State2PKYr 1
2019San Diego State2PKYr 2
2020San Diego State2PKYr 3
2021San Diego State2PKSo. (Yr 4)6′2″205

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsagePAAR
2019San Diego State––––––6.2 (26 att.)
2020San Diego State––––––-1.8 (14 att.)
2021San Diego State––––––2.1 (27 att.)

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). PAAR: points a kicker added above a replacement-level kicker, with his field-goal attempts. From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2021 San Diego State 14 games, 18 of 28 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Sep 4vs.New Mexico StateW 28–⁠1000044
Sep 11atArizonaW 38–⁠14123258
Sep 18vs.UtahW 33–⁠31135147
Sep 25vs.TowsonW 48–⁠212248612
Oct 9vs.New MexicoW 31–⁠7114047
Oct 15atSan José StateW 19–⁠13235317
Oct 23atAir ForceW 20–⁠14225128
Oct 30vs.Fresno StateL 20–⁠3001022
Nov 6atHawai’iW 17–⁠10123925
Nov 13vs.NevadaW 23–⁠213448211
Nov 19atUNLVW 28–⁠2000044
Nov 26vs.Boise StateW 27–⁠16243739
Dec 4vs.Utah StateL 13–⁠46233617
Dec 21 ✦vs.UTSAW 38–⁠24113358
2020 San Diego State 8 games, 10 of 14 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Oct 24vs.UNLVW 34–⁠62227410
Oct 31atUtah StateW 38–⁠7132858
Nov 6vs.San José StateL 17–⁠28113425
Nov 14vs.Hawai’iW 34–⁠102236410
Nov 21atNevadaL 21–⁠2600033
Nov 28atColoradoL 10–⁠20134814
Dec 5vs.Colorado StateW 29–⁠173340211
Dec 12atBYUL 14–⁠2800022
2019 San Diego State 13 games, 22 of 26 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Aug 31vs.Weber StateW 6–⁠0223406
Sep 7atUCLAW 23–⁠143443211
Sep 14atNew Mexico StateW 31–⁠10114047
Sep 21vs.Utah StateL 17–⁠23112225
Oct 5atColorado StateW 24–⁠10112236
Oct 12vs.WyomingW 26–⁠22234728
Oct 19atSan José StateW 27–⁠17224139
Oct 26atUNLVW 20–⁠17223428
Nov 9vs.NevadaL 13–⁠17224417
Nov 15vs.Fresno StateW 17–⁠7122225
Nov 23atHawai’iL 11–⁠14122703
Nov 30vs.BYUW 13–⁠3224417
Dec 21 ✦vs.Central MichiganW 48–⁠112248612
2018 San Diego State 1 game, 1 punt, 36.0 average
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Aug 31atStanfordL 10–⁠31–––––

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2022
Height6′1⅛″
Weight200 lb
Arm length30½″
Hand size9″
Wingspan73⅛″W
40-yard dash4.68 s
10-yard split1.59 sW
Vertical jump32″
Broad jump10′1″

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

3 seasons, 38 games with a stat; latest team: Kansas City Chiefs.

SeasonTeamGFGMFGA
2024Kansas City Chiefs1700
2025Kansas City Chiefs1700
2026 (so far)Kansas City Chiefs400
NFL career3800

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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