Michael Kern, New Mexico P: the 2026 season story
Michael Kern is a junior punter for New Mexico (Mountain West). He ranks 136th 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. Michael Kern's strongest measure is inside the 20 at 38%, 45th of 134 (the average is 35%). His weakest is gross punt average at 41.1, 118th 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 23rd percentile for efficiency and 66th 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, Michael Kern's best came in week 5 against UTEP and his quietest in week 9 at San José 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. Michael Kern is 102nd of 134 FBS punters and 7th of 10 in the Mountain West. Next up nationally is Alex Bacchetta of Georgia Tech, 0.00 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. Past seasons show whether this year is a breakout, a steady climb or a step back. This is his best season by the Player Index so far, out of 3 we have.
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 Tyler Manship of Northern Arizona.
