Michigan State gets commitment from the 2026 No. 4-ranked kicker in the country, Stephen Gonzales

Michigan State has received a commitment to its class of 2026 from Kohl's five-star kicker Stephen Gonzales. MSU is welcoming Gonzales as a scholarship player, sources tells Spartans Illustrated.

Gonzales — who currently attends Union Academy in Monroe, North Carolina — will play under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator LeVar Woods and the rest of the MSU staff.

He is currently ranked the No. 4 kicker in the class of 2026 by Kohl's. The No. 1-ranked kicker of the class of 2026, Harran Zureikat, is committed to Georgia. The No. 2-ranked kicker, David Green, is committed to North Carolina, and No. 3-ranked Jake Collett is committed to Texas.

Gonzales and former Charlotte kicker Liam Boyd will compete for the starting kicking job. Boyd was brought in through the transfer portal.

Sources tell Spartans Illustrated that MSU is most likely now set at the kicker position on the 2026 roster.

Here is a synopsis of Gonzales's Kohl’s Evaluation Summary (highlight videos below):

Stephen Gonzales has consistently proven himself as one of the top kicking prospects in the Class of 2026, delivering elite performances at every major Kohl’s event over the past two years. He combines outstanding leg strength, refined ball striking, and the competitive demeanor college coaches look for.

At the 2025 Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp, Gonzales scored 25 points on field goals and 110.9 on kickoffs, continuing a dominant run that included the May 2025 Southern Showcase, where he posted 112.7 kickoff points and went 12-for-15 on field goals. At the January 2025 Underclassman Challenge, he scored 19 field goal points and 107.80 on kickoffs, winning two field goal competitions and converting kicks from 65 and 63 yards in the finals.

His consistency dates back through 2024. At the December 2024 Southern Showcase, he won the field goal competition while scoring 110.55 on kickoffs. At the July 2024 National Scholarship Camp, he recorded 108.48 kickoff points and 27-for-36 on field goals, with evaluators noting that his leg strength may be the best in the 2026 class. Earlier, at the 2023 Southern Winter Showcase, Gonzales went 14-for-15 in charting and produced a 72-yard kickoff with 3.87 seconds of hang time.

Across multiple seasons and settings, Gonzales has shown rare consistency, elite leg speed, and advanced technical refinement, clearly projecting as one of the premier specialists in the 2026 class.