John Baron II Season 2018

Final Bio

* Two-time Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Semifinalist (2016 & 2018)
* Two-time all-Mountain West (2016 First Team, 2018 Second Team)
* 2018 SDSU Special Teams Player of the Year
* 2018 SDSU Most Inspirational Award
* 2018 Dr. R. Hardy/C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophy (team captain award)
* Six-time Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week
- Oct. 20, 2016 for game at Utah State
- Sept. 20, 2018 for game vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State
- Sept. 27, 2018 for game vs. Eastern Michigan
- Oct. 8, 2018 for game at rv/No. 24 Boise State
- Oct. 22, 2018 for game vs. San José State
- Nov. 5, 2018 for game vs. New Mexico
* Two-time Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award "Star of the Week"
- Sept. 26, 2018 for game vs. Eastern Michigan
- Oct. 22, 2018 for game vs. San José State

Was a Lou Groza Award and All-America candidate ... Strong, left-footed kicker who handled PATs, field goals and kickoff duties ... Hada cannon of a leg ... An accurate and clutch kicker ... Had multiple field goals 16 times, including five times in 2018 ... Among all-time SDSU kickers, ranked first in 50-yard field goals (6), second in field goal percentage (.833) and field goals (50), third in PATs (135) and points (285), and fourth in PAT percentage (.985) ... Also ranked sixth overall at SDSU in scoring (285 points) ... For his career, was 5-for-6 in field goal attempts when the score is within three points in the fourth quarter (2-for-2 from 50-plus) ... Only missed three field goals in Aztec losses ... Was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week six times for his career, including five times last season in 12 chances.

SENIOR SEASON (2018)
Was named a Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award semifinalist on Nov. 1, the first Aztec multi-time semifinalist in program history (also 2016) ... Was named a second-team all-Mountain West selection in a vote by the league’s media and coaches ... Named SDSU’s Special Teams Player of the Year, one of two Most Inspirational Players and was one of the four Dr. R. Hardy/C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophies (captain’s awards) ... Was on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Watch List for a second consecutive season ... Also was a preseason all-Mountain West third-team selection by Phil Steele Magazine ... Is almost perfect on the season, going 17-for-22 on field goal attempts (.773), including 5-for-5 on 50-yard attempts, and 27-for-27 on PATs ... Also kicked off 62 times for 3,894 yards (62.8 avg.) with 45 going for touchbacks ... If you took away his five squib kicks for 184 yards, he averaged 65.1 yards per kickoff (57 KO for 3,710 yards) with a 78.9 touchback percentage (45 TB in 57 K0) ... Led the team with 78 points ... Among the FBS leaders, ranked first in PAT percentage (1.000, 1st in MW), 13th in touchback percentage (.726, 1st in MW), 29th in field goals per game (1.31, 3rd in MW), T-29th in touchbacks (45, 3rd in MW), 44th in kickoff average (62.81, 5th in MW) and 45th in field goal percentage (.773, 4th in MW) ... Joined UCLA’s Kai Forbath (2007) as the only players since at least 1996 to make five 50-yarders in a season without a miss ... Among SDSU single-season leaders, ranked first in 50-yard field goals (5), in a tie for first in PAT percentage (1.000) and tied for fifth in field goals (17) ... Had a long of 54 yards, which ranked in a tie for second in school history and a tie for eighth in FBS ... On the season, was 4-for-5 in field goal attempts when the score is within three points in the fourth quarter (2-for-2 from 50-plus) ... Had a 50-yard field goal in three consecutive games from Sept. 8-22, which was tied for the third-longest streak since 1996, one shy of Florida State’s Graham Gano (4 from Sept. 27-Oct. 25, 2008) and West Virginia’s Josh Lambert (4 from Sept. 20-Oct. 18, 2014) ... Was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week five times in 12 chances, tied for the most in a season in league history ... Was chosen as a team captain in a team-high 12 games ... Made his only field goal attempt - a 30-yarder - and PAT at No. 13/13 Stanford in the opener, where he was one of the team’s four captains for the game ... Also kicked off four times for 257 yards (64.3 avg.) with three touchbacks ... The only kickoff that didn’t result in a touchback came after a Stanford safety, which made Baron have to kick off from the SDSU 20 (instead of the SDSU 35) ... Was 2-for-2 in field goal attempts and 2-for-2 in PATs against Sacramento State ... Made a then career-long 52-yard field goal in the second quarter ... Also kicked off six times for 386 yards (64.3 avg.), recording five touchbacks in six chances ... Was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week for his play against No. 23/25 Arizona State, where he was 2-for-2 in field goals and 2-for-2 in PATs while serving as a team captain ... Made a career-long 54-yard field goal in the third quarter, tied for the second longest in school history and tied for the eighth longest in FBS this season ... Also kicked off six times for 361 yards (60.2 avg.) with two touchbacks ... If you take away the squib kick he booted with seconds remaining in the first half, he would have averaged a perfect 65.0 yards per kickoff ... Became the first player to be named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks since UNLV punter Logan Yunker accomplished the feat in 2013 (Sept. 23-30), going 3-for-4 on field goal attempts and 2-for-2 on PATs against Eastern Michigan ... Hit a 34-yarder in the first quarter to put SDSU on top, a 50-yarder to tie the game at 20-20 with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter and a 38-yarder to win the game in overtime ... His 11 points were a season best ... Also was one of three named to the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award “Stars of the Week” ... Baron's 38-yard field goal in overtime was his first game-winner of his career ... Also kicked off five times for 275 yards (55.0 avg.) and four touchbacks ... If you take away the one squib he kicked off, he would've averaged a perfect 65.0 average (four for 260 yards) on the other four attempts ... Was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week for a third time in four weeks against for his play at rv/No. 24 Boise State, making both of his field goal attempts (36 and 41 yards) and his lone PAT as a team captain ... Became the first player to win the special teams award three times in a season since Utah’s Shaky Smithson in 2010 and the first to win it three times in four weeks (Baron was idle one of the four weeks with a bye) since Utah’s Louie Sakoda won it three straight weeks from Oct. 8-22, 2007 ... Also recorded a perfect 65.0 kickoff average on five kickoffs, posting four touchbacks ... Missed his only field goal attempt (44 yards) against Air Force as a team captain, but was 3-for-3 on PATs ... Also kicked off five times for 317 yards (63.4 avg.) with three touchbacks ... If you take away his squib kick to end the first half, would’ve averaged 67.0 yards per kickoff (4 KO for 268 yards) ... Was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week for a fourth time of the season (in seven chances) for his play against San José State, going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and 1-for-1 on PATs as a team captain ... Made his second career game-winning field goal with a 51-yarder with 4:36 left in the fourth quarter ... Also was one of three named to the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award “Stars of the Week” ... Is now 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards this season and 5-for-7 for his career ... Made multiple field goals for the 16th time of his career (fifth time this season) ... Also kicked off five times for 322 yards (64.4 avg.) with three touchbacks ... Made his only fied goal from 26 yards at Nevada, while going 3-for-3 on PATs ... Also kicked off six times for 397 yards, posting a career-high 66.2 average and tying a season high with five touchbacks ... Was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week for the fifth time of the season (tying a league record) for his play at New Mexico, making his lone field goal attempt from 32 yards and nailing all four of his PATs, finishing with seven points in the game ... His field goal with 2:56 left in the fourth quarter put SDSU on top at 24-23 and proved to be the game-winner ... Five of his six kickoffs went for a touchback and the other was a squib kick late in the fourth quarter. If you take away that kickoff (for 29 yards), would have had a perfect 65.0 average for the game ... Became first player to win the MW Special Teams Player of the Week five times in a season since Utah’s Sakoda in 2008 ... Was 1-for-2 in field goal attempts against UNLV, while making all three of his PATs ... Made from 33 yards, but missed earlier from 34 yards, the first miss of his career in an Aztec loss ... Also kicked off five times for 315 yards (63.0 avg.) with four going for touchbacks ... If you take away his squib kick late in the second quarter, would have posted a perfect 65.0 kickoff average with four touchbacks in four kickoffs ... Missed a 47-yard field goal at Fresno State, just his second career miss in an Aztec loss ... Did make both of his PATs ... Also kicked off three times for 195 yards with a perfect 65.0 kickoff average and two touchbacks ... Was 1-for-2 on field goal attempts and made all three PATs against Hawai’i ... The make was from 53 yards, his fifth 50-yarder of the season ... Is now 5-for-5 on the season from 50-plus yards, joining UCLA’s Kai Forbath in 2007 as the only players since at least 1996 to go 5-for-5 from 50-plus yards in a single season ... Missed a 32-yard field goal, however, as time expired, which would’ve given SDSU the win ... Also kicked off five times for 325 yards (65.0 avg.) with four touchbacks ... For the first time of his career did not attempt a PAT or field goal against Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl ... Recorded one kickofff, which went for a touchback.

JUNIOR SEASON (2017)
Was on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Watch List ... Also was a preseason all-Mountain West first-team selection by the MW media, Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports and Phil Steele Magazine ... Phil Steele also had him as the "Seventh-Rated Kicker in the 2018 NFL Draft" and Lindy's had him as the "Eighth-Rated Kicker in FBS" ... Was nearly perfect on the season, going 12-for-15 in field goal attempts (.800) and 52-for-52 on PATs ... Also kicked off 77 times for 4,843 yards (62.9 avg.) with 33 touchbacks ... Was second on the team with 88 points ... Among the FBS leaders, ranked in a tie for first in PAT percentage (1.000, T-1st in MW), 39th in kickoff average (62.9, 4th in MW), a tie for 39th in field goal percentage (.800, 4th in MW), a tie for 41st in touchbacks (33, 6th in MW) and 46th in kicking points (88, 5th in MW) ... Made a 39-yard field goal in the opener against UC Davis and made all five of his PATs ... Also kicked off seven times for 445 yards (63.6 avg.) with three touchbacks ... Was 3-for-3 on field goals (29, 27 and 32 yards) at Arizona State and made all three of his PATs ... Ended up with 12 of the team's 30 points in the win ... Also kicked off seven times for 455 yards, posting a perfect 65.0 average for the first time of his career, while tying a career high with six touchbacks ... Was 2-for-3 on field goals vs. No. 19/19 Stanford, making from 43 (season high) and 36 before missing from 50 ... Had made 25 straight field goals of 50 yards or less, which was a Mountain West record and the longest active streak in FBS play until he missed from 50 in the fourth quarter ... However, continued his streak of made field goals from less than 50 yards, stretching it to 24 straight ... Had also made 15 straight field goals overall before missing on his third attempt ... Also has kicked off five times for 323 yards (64.6 avg.) with three touchbacks ... Missed a 39-yard field goal into a driving rain and wind at Air Force, snapping his streak of 24 straight makes of less than 50 yards ... Did make all four of his PATs ... Also kicked off five times for 308 yards (61.2 avg.) with two touchbacks ... Made both of his field-goal attempts with a long of 38 yards and connected on all four of his PATs against Northern Illinois ... Made both of his field-goal attempts with a long of 33 yards and connected on all five of his PATs at UNLV ... Effort at UNLV gave him multiple field goals in 11 career games ... Made both of his PATs vs. Boise State, but did not attempt a field goal for the first time in 2017 and for just the second time of his career ... Kicked off three times for 193 yards (64.3 avg.) ... Had a perfect, albeit short game against Fresno State, making his only field goal attempt (37 yards) and kicking off twice for 130 yards (65.0 avg.) with both going for touchbacks ... Marked just the second time over his career (also at Arizona State on Sept. 9, 2017) that he posted a perfect 65.0 kickoff average (min. 2 kickoffs) ... Accounted for SDSU's only three points with a second-quarter field goal ... Made all four of his PATs at Hawai'i without attempting a field goal ... Also kicked off five times for 319 yards (63.8 avg.) with two touchbacks ... Made a 30-yard field goal and seven PATs at San Jose  State ... Also kicked off nine times for 564 yards (62.7 avg.) with four touchbacks ... Missed a 48-yard field goal against Nevada, but made all six of his PATs ... Also kicked off seven times for 443 yards (63.3 avg.) with two touchbacks ... Did not attempt a field goal against New Mexico, but made all five of his PATs ... Also kicked off six times for 370 yards (61.7 avg.) with two touchbacks ... Made all five of his PATs against Army West Point in the Armed Forces Bowl without attempting a field goal for a second straight week, while kicking off six times for 357 yards (59.5 avg.) with a pair of touchbacks.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2016)
Was named a Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award semifinalist on Nov. 3, the first Aztec semifinalist for the award since J.C. Mejia in 2003 ... Was named a first-team all-Mountain West performer, the first Aztec kicker on an MW first team in league history and just the third in program history (also Chris O'Brien in 1985 and Al Limahelu in 1970) ... Was nearly perfect on the season, going 56-for-58 in PATs and 21-for-23 in field goal attempts ... Also has kicked off 94 times for 5,891 yards (62.7 avg.), posting 33 touchbacks ... Led the team with 119 points ... Ranked 10th nationally (third in the MW) in field goal percentage (.913), 20th (second in MW) in points per game among kickers (8.50), 20th (second in MW) in field goals per game (1.50) and 35th (fourth in MW) in points per game (8.50) ... Set a school single-season record in field goals (21) and field goal percentage (.913) ... Also had the third most PATs (56) in a season in school history ... Made 10 straight field goals from Oct. 1 at South Alabama until Nov. 5 vs. Hawai'i when his final attempt - a career-long 51-yarder - fell short ... Finished the season with 19 consecutive field goal makes from 50 or less yards ... Had multiple field goals seven times, including in six of the final seven games ... Had a solid debut in the opener vs. New Hampshire, making all four PATs and making his only field goal attempt from 33 yards ... Also kicked off six times for 386 yards, averaging 64.3 yards per boot ... Four of his six kicks were touchbacks ... Was perfect again against California, making a 39-yard field goal and all six PAT tries ... Kicked off a then career-high eight times for 508 yards (6.5 avg.) with three touchbacks ... Made all six PATs at Northern Illinois, but missed his first field goal of the season, a 44-yarder into a 15-mph wind ... Also kicked off seven times for 443 yards (63.3 avg.), including one touchback ... Made a 34-yard field goal and his only PAT try at South Alabama ... Also kicked off five times for 295 yards (59.0) with two touchbacks ... Had a huge game against UNLV, going 2-for-2 in field goal attempts, including a pair of career-long makes (48 and 50 yards) ... Became the first Aztec since 2007 with multiple field goals in the same game from at least 48 yards (third time since 1996) ... Also made both of his PAT tries and kicked off six times for 383 yards (63.8 avg.) with a touchback ... Had another solid outing at Fresno State, making a 47-yard field goal and both PATs ... The 47-yarder gave him three straight makes (and attempts) from at least 47 yards ... Also kicked off four times for 256 yards (64.0 avg.) ... Did not attempt a field goal for the first time of the season vs. San Josà © State, but did make all six of his PAT attempts ... Also kicked off seven times for 448 yards (64.0 avg.) ... Had a career game at Utah State en route to being named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week, making a career-high four field goals, going 4-for-4 with a long of 43 yards ... The four field goals tied an Aztec school record (with seven others, most recent Wes Feer vs. Eastern Illinois on Aug. 31, 2013) ... Also made all four of his PATs, giving him 16 points ... The 16 points also tied a SDSU record among kickers (fifth time it's happened) ... Also tied a then career high with eight kickoffs for 508 yards (63.5 avg.) with two touchbacks ... On his eight kickoffs, Utah State averaged a 20.3 average starting field position ... Had another good game against Hawai'i, making his first two field goal attempts (30 and 45 yards) and nailing all seven PATs ... Did miss a career-long 51-yard attempt in the third quarter, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive makes ... Also kicked off a career-high 10 times for a career-best 603 yards (60.3 avg.) ... Was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, but 4-of-6 on PATs at Nevada (both PAT misses were blocked) ... Made his field goals from 28 and 31 yards ... Also kicked off nine times for 540 yards (60.0 avg.) with a career-high six touchbacks ... Was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 3-for-3 on PATs at Wyoming ... Had multiple field goals - 27 and 31 yards - for the fourth straight game and fifth time of his career ... Was 1-for-1 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 on PATs vs. Colorado State ... The field goal was a 34-yarder ... Was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 3-for-3 on PATs in the MW Championship game at Wyoming ... Was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 on PATs against Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl ... Broke Donny Hageman's SDSU field goal record of 20 in 2014 with his second make ... Finished 21-for-23 (.913) on the season on field goal attempts, the best mark in SDSU single-season history ... Finished his season with 19 straight field goals made of 50 yards or less ... Made multiple field goals for the seventh time of the season and sixth time in seven games.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2015)
Was on the travel squad for most of the season, but did not see any action.

REDSHIRT SEASON (2014)
Utilized his redshirt season in his first year at San Diego State ... Was originally one of four kickers on the roster, but moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart by the end of the season.

HIGH SCHOOL
Lettered three years at Chaparral High School in Temecula, Calif. ... Converted all 48 of his extra-point attempts during his career at CHS, including a 38-for-38 mark as a senior ... Was 11-of-16 on field goal attempts as a senior, with a long of 51 yards ... Was a first-team all-league selection as a senior ... Went 2-for-2 in field goal attempts in three separate games ... Punted 29 times with a 40.5-yard average in 2013 ... Averaged 55.2 yards per kickoff as a junior with 39 touchbacks in 49 kickoffs ... Was rated as a 5-star kicker by kohlskicking.com and was ranked as the 12th-best kicker in the class of 2014 by the website ... Was a two-star recruit by Rivals.com and 247sports ... Also played soccer at Chaparral, where he was named the defensive MVP ... A scholar-athlete.

PERSONAL
John Christopher Baron II was born Jan. 25, 1996, in Escondido, Calif. ... Son of John and Willi Jo Baron ... Was also recruited by Colorado in the process out of high school ... Majored in business administration with a focus in finance.

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Points: 16 at Utah State (10/28/16)
Field Goals: 4 at Utah State (10/28/16)
Long Field Goal: 54 vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State (9/15/18)
Kickoffs: 10 vs. Hawai’i (11/5/16)
Touchbacks (KO): 6 at Arizona State (9/9/17), at Nevada (11/12/16)
Kickoff Avg. (More than 1 att.): 66.2 (6-for-307) at Nevada (10/27/18)
Tackles: 1 vs. UC Davis (9/2/17)