In yesterday's installment of our offseason countdown series, we looked at Fast Freddie Williams, one of the biggest names of the 70's. Today, we flip to the present to feature a Sun Devil newcomer who is looking to instantly upgrade Arizona State's weakest area from last year.
Jesus Gomez was born in Mexico, but always had dreams of playing American football, a sport only recently starting to grow in popularity there. His only FBS scholarship offer came at Eastern Michigan, one of the farthest possible options from home for Gomez. He took it.
Gomez quickly became the starting kicker for the Eagles, and had a chance encounter with Arizona State along the way.
In 2022, the Sun Devils were reeling from the fallout of the NCAA's investigation into recruiting violations, having lost quarterback Jayden Daniels and countless other players to the transfer portal. A blowout loss in Stillwater to future conference foe Oklahoma State sent them home with a 1-1 record and looking to bounce back against Eastern Michigan.
They did not. Arizona State struggled for most of the game, trailing 27-14 going into the fourth quarter. An early touchdown run from X Valladay sparked hope of a comeback, but Gomez connected on a 20-yard field goal with four and a half minutes to left to ice the win. It marked a period of distinct embarrassment for the program.
The next day, head coach Herm Edwards officially stepped away from the team.
That, of course, kicked off the process that led Kenny Dillingham back to his alma mater, and the Sun Devils' rapid turnaround in 2024 helped radically change the trajectory of the program. However, the team wasn't perfect, and that's where Gomez enters the picture.
The Sun Devils used three different kickers last year, with Carston Kieffer's 60% make rate leading the way but Ian Hershey emerging as the most used kicker, with a 58.3% rate Parker Lewis was the only one to make every extra point, but his 33.3% make rate on field goals prevented him from heavier usage.
In the Peach Bowl, specifically, Kieffer missed a field goal right before halftime, and Arizona State ended up going for it on fourth down quite often due to their unstable kicking situation. Given that game ended in double overtime, it's easy to speculate what would've happened with more reliable kicking.
That's why Gomez was targeted early on in the transfer portal. The Mexico native has made 80% or more of his field goals in two of his three years at Eastern Michigan, featuring a strong leg that's consistently made kicks from beyond 50 yards.
Now, after having to travel so far from home to pursue his dream of playing college football, Gomez will be significantly closer in Tempe. Not only that, but he'll be the kicker for a College Football Playoff team from last year. And the Sun Devils certainly hope that Gomez is everything he's been billed as.
It's been an ironic journey for Gomez, as he played a part in ending the Edwards era and clearing the way for Dillingham, and now hopes to elevate this program even beyond last year's amazing season. And in 35 days, he'll have a chance to prove this is where he belongs.