The biggest concern nobody is talking about for San Diego State football

Replacing one of the most reliable kickers in school history could become the Aztecs' biggest question mark in 2026

San Diego State Aztecs kicker Gabriel Plascencia (11). | Photo courtesy of San Diego State University Athletics

Gabe Plascencia was about as automatic as it gets when he was the placekicker for the San Diego State Aztecs. 

The “Hefty Lefty,” as he was affectionately known, left Montezuma Mesa as SDSU’s career leader in field goal accuracy. He made 36 of 41 (87.8%) field goals and all 35 PATs in his three seasons while wearing red and black. 

He set the school and Mountain West Conference record by making 26 straight field goals spanning his junior and senior seasons. Naturally, it was a shock when the streak ended when he missed a chip-shot from 23 yards in the third quarter of a home victory against Wyoming. Up until that point, it was just his second career miss. 

Plascencia entered 2025 as the MW’s Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year and ended it earning All-MW second-team honors.

He’s now with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.

Plenty has been said about the holes SDSU must fill on the defensive front, at all five positions in the secondary and in the offensive line. 

But kicker could be the biggest concern nobody is talking about as the Aztecs embark on the first season of the reborn Pac-12 Conference after going 9-4 in the turnaround season of 2025. 

Why this is a concern

Going from someone as automatic as Plascencia to a new kicker in clutch situations would be nerve-wracking for any team. The Aztecs had grown confident with Plascencia’s abilities, which is why it was so stunning that he missed that field goal try against Wyoming. 

So who will take over?

The battle to replace Plascencia started during spring drills and will continue during fall camp, which starts Wednesday.

The Aztecs’ post-spring depth chart lists four players, none of whom have suited up in a regular-season game for the Aztecs.

As far as body of work goes, two of the four candidates to replace Plascencia each kicked a field goal during the spring scrimmage. Cooper DiLeva connected from 46 yards while Lane Garner hit from 44 yards.

Here are the placekickers listed on SDSU’s post-spring depth chart:

Senior transfer Noah Serna

Serna transferred to SDSU from Cal Poly of the FCS Big Sky Conference. He had a great junior season, making 9 of 11 field goals and 20 of 21 PATs. He kicked a career-long 51-yarder in a 63-9 loss at Utah on Sept. 6. He made 8 of 11 field goal tries in 2024.

Senior transfer Cooper DiLeva

DiLeva transferred from Arkansas, where he didn’t make it onto the field in 2025. Before that, he played two standout seasons at El Camino College. He was 8 of 12 on field goals as a freshman and made 36 of 38 PATs. As a sophomore, he made 11 of 15 field goal attempts, including a career-best 41-yarder. He also made 40 of 41 PATs.

Junior transfer Lane Garner

Garner came from Butte College. He was 13-of-15 last season, including a career-long 48-yard field goal, and nailed all 38 PATs. As a freshman, he made four of six field goals, including a 41-yarder, while hitting 39 of 34 PATs.

Sophomore transfer Tyler Prasuhn

Prasuhn was with Arizona last year. He had two kickoffs for a total of 130 yards and two touchbacks in his college debut against Weber State on Sept. 6. He didn’t play the remainder of the year and used his redshirt season.