Mateo Orosco is UCLA’s promising freshman kicker with big-leg upside and a high-ceiling ceiling
Mateo Orosco enters the 2026 season as UCLA’s true-freshman kicker, and the buzz is real: he was ranked No. 11 nationally by Chris Sailer Kicking and praised for a 55-plus-yard field-goal range, strong kickoffs, and pressure-proof competitiveness in the 2026 cycle. In UCLA’s 2026 spring and preseason reports, he showed enough leg talent to draw attention from coaches, including a 57-yard make in spring and camp praise for being fun to watch, though he sits behind veteran Mateen Bhaghani and is unlikely to be the Week 1 starter unless needed. If you want a future weapon with legitimate NFL-style leg strength, Orosco is a smart stash.
