Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | PUNT | YDS | AVG | LONG | IN20 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 70-7vs Mercyhurst | 3 | 115 | 38.3 | 39 | 3 | |
| Wk 3 | L 6-14@ Oklahoma | 7 | 251 | 35.9 | 40 | 3 | |
| Total | 10 | 366 | 37.1 | 40 | 6 |
#19
Michael Kern
Junior punter for New Mexico. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 195 lb · Fort Lauderdale, FL
Transferred California → New Mexico for 2026
The numbers
36.6
yards per punt · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 punts, 35.9 avg, at Oklahoma
Inside the 20 · 60%
0%field median 33%60%
6 of his 10 punts died inside the 20. The field median is about one in three, among 134 FBS punters with 5+ punts this season.
Swing playSwung Minnesota from 28% to 51% to win.Minnesota at California · 27-14
The story
Junior punter for New Mexico. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Texas in 2024.
- Transferred from California to New Mexico in 2026.
Michael Kern
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane. Three head coaches in three seasons, at three different programs.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
His career
6 programs, one constant: he played.
202414 games
- Signed with Texas3-star out of St. Thomas Aquinas
202511 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
New Mexico
2025–2026era →
Jason Eck
New Mexico
Coaching transition mid-career: Bronco Mendenhall → Jason Eck. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to New Mexico
2025California
2026New Mexico
Game log
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 70–7
vs Mercyhurst
38.3 yards per punt · 3 punts · 3 inside the 20
Dominant 63-point win at home against Mercyhurst.
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +7 punts, +3 punts inside the 20.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Texas13-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2025California7-6HC: Justin Wilcox · Pass-leaning
2026New Mexico2-1HC: Jason Eck · Run-heavy
How he plays
Play style
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
New Mexico carries two punters; Kern has taken ten of the 14. The No. 2,448 recruit in the country is punting in the Mountain West as a junior.
The battery
New Mexico’s specialists
- #53Caden BeckLong snapper · So.
- #50Lincoln EpsteinLong snapper · Jr.
- #19Michael KernPunter · Jr.10 punts · 36.6 avg · 6 inside the 20
- #35Charles SteinkampPunter · Sr.4 punts · 49.8 avg · 1 inside the 20
- #31Grant GlasgowKicker · Sr.5 of 6 on field goals
- #95Konner OlsonKicker · Sr.
- #41Nicholas RomeroKicker · So.0 of 1 on field goals
DNA match
Player DNA
Steady
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane.
P
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jackson Waller’s 2025 season.
Matches Jackson on
Class year
Height
Yards / punt
Differs from Jackson on
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Ryan Millmore's sophomore season at Western Michigan (2025).
Matches Ryan on
Height
In-20 rate
Weight
Differs from Ryan on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Michael Kern
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology