Nick Stephens, Mississippi Valley State P: the 2026 season story
Nick Stephens is a senior punter for Mississippi Valley State (SWAC). He ranks 227th of 232 punters in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every punter on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Nick Stephens's strongest measure is touchbacks at 2%, 21st of 134 (the average is 6%). His weakest is gross punt average at 36.9, 135th of 134 (the average is 43.6).
Against every punter
Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of punter he is. Among ranked punters he sits, on average, in the 43rd percentile for efficiency and 7th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 8 games, Nick Stephens's best came in week 1 at Nicholls and his quietest in week 1 at Sacramento State.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.
National and conference
Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Nick Stephens is 93rd of 98 FCS punters and 8th of 9 in the SWAC. Next up nationally is Truette Tumey of Tennessee State, 0.02 ahead on the index.
Punters like him
Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Jack Hurley of Northwestern State.
