veteran leg, but Mercer’s current kicking spotlight sits elsewhere
Will Roper is a proven, experienced kicker with a strong kickoff résumé at South Carolina State, where in the 2012 season he averaged 57.5 yards per kickoff and logged nine touchbacks on 41 kicks; in 2013, he handled kickoff duties again and produced 13 touchbacks on 76 kickoffs. Mercer’s 2026 kicking stats show the Bears have current active kickers contributing in-game, but publicly available team stat pages do not show Roper as the featured 2026 stat leader, so he looks more like a veteran depth/insurance fit than a headline-grabbing starter. If you want reliability, field-position utility, and a seasoned specialist, he’s a sensible football fit.
