Specialists have been San Diego State’s specialty in recent years, with SDSU producing NFL-caliber kickers, punters and long snappers.
The most notable specialist is punter Matt Araiza, a sixth-round pick by Buffalo in 2022 who has played the past two years with Kansas City.
NFL teams rarely draft specialists. That isn’t news to kicker Gabe Plascencia, SDSU’s latest standout specialist, and he isn’t concerned about it.
“I am not too sure if I will be drafted or a free agent,” Plascencia said, “but no matter what I will be giving my 110% to any team that will take a chance on me.
“I’ll be ready for any team that wants to give me an opportunity. I’m ready to continue the line of SDSU specialists in the NFL.”
Plascencia was joined by a dozen SDSU players, and three from USD, on campus Tuesday morning for the Aztecs’ annual Pro Day.
Players were tested in the weight room before heading out to the field to be timed in the 40-yard dash, did vertical and broad jumps and were put through agility and positional drills. All under the watchful eyes of scouts from 30 of the 32 NFL teams.
The itinerary included a kicking workout for Plascencia, who made 11 of 14 field goal attempts. He went 2 of 3 from beyond 60 yards, with makes of 61 and 64 yards before a 65-yard attempt went wide left.
“I feel like I did really well,” Plascencia said. “I feel like I really displayed good ball contact, good height, good ball speed, all that stuff they look for at the NFL level. … I showed I could hit that NFL ball. It was a good opportunity for me today.”
Plascencia even handled a surprise, when a timeout was called to “ice” the kicker right before he kicked one of the deep balls. Plascencia then nailed the kick.
“I did what I do in a game,” Plascencia said, “take a dry swing, take a mental rep and then go out and hit the next one.”
Plascencia has been preparing for the draft by training with former NFL kicker Nick Novak and performance coach Cody Smith at The Block Performance Center in Rancho Bernardo.
“Nick has helped me refine my technique and mentally prepare me for the next level,” Plascencia said. “Cody has done a tremendous job physically preparing me to kick at the best of my ability in front of scouts.”
Plasecenia, like Araiza, left his mark on the SDSU record book. He made a school-record 25 straight field goals and finished as the school’s career leader in accuracy (36-for-41, .878).
“I feel as though I did a great job at showing my consistency finishing my career as one of the most accurate kickers in NCAA history,” said Plasecencia, whose field goal percentage ranks in the top 10 among FBS kickers. “Now it’s showing them that I can do that from closer to the middle of the field, like hitting those long-range balls.”
San Diego State cornerback Bryce Phillips had an impressive 4.56 in the 40. (Justin Truong / SDSU Athletics)
Notable
• SDSU cornerback Chris Johnson, who had a standout performance at the NFL Combine, had a limited workout, doing specific drills that some of the teams interested in him wanted to see. Johnson, projected as a second-round pick, has had private workouts or film sessions with Dallas, Minnesota and the L.A. Rams and has another one coming up with New Orleans.
• SDSU cornerback Bryce Phillips impressed with his measurables and speed, most notably a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump and 4.56 in the 40. He has an advantage over some of the others, getting advice from a current NFL cornerback. Older brother Clark Phillips, a fourth-round pick out of Utah, has played the past three years for the Atlanta Falcons.
• SDSU safety Eric Butler, who has a private session with Dallas scheduled, clocked a 4.58 40. Only Phillips and safety Deshawn McCuin (4.52) were faster.
• Perhaps the most intriguing player among the USD representatives was defensive lineman Malachi Cooper. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Cooper, who had five sacks among 41 tackles last season, played inside and outside for the Toreros. Union-Tribune draft expert Eddie Brown believes a team could go after Cooper as a developmental player on the D-line who could make an immediate contribution on special teams.
Draft details
The 2026 NFL Draft is April 23-25 at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park, adjacent to the stadium
There are 257 total selections over seven rounds. Round 1 is conducted the first day, followed by rounds 2-3 on the second day and rounds 4-7 on the third day. The draft will be broadcast on The NFL Network in ESPN.
Free agent signings begin virtually as soon as the draft concludes. SDSU has not had a player drafted the past three years.