Texas A&M Stands Firm at Kicking Position Despite Struggles

Many Texas A&M fans left Kyle Field on Saturday wondering whether starting kicker Randy Bond would keep his job after a brutal afternoon against South Carolina. Bond missed two field goals in the first half, both of which contributed to the Aggies’ 30–3 collapse before the historic comeback.

Head coach Mike Elko shut down any speculation during Wednesday’s press conference.

“Randy (Bond) is still our guy,” Elko asserted. “We still have confidence in Randy, obviously, two big misses on Saturday, and those are things that we've got to try to get fixed.”

Randy Bond’s 2025 Season

Texas A&M Aggies place kicker Randy Bond (47) reacts after making a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The controversy around the kicking job didn’t begin with the South Carolina game.

At the beginning of the season, Elko announced that Georgia transfer Jared Zirkel would be the starter. Elko even said Zirkel had been “phenomenal” throughout the offseason and won the kicking job “by a wide margin.”

After Zirkel suffered an injury heading into the Auburn game, Bond reclaimed the starting duties.

Bond has struggled thus far. He has made 11 of his 18 FG attempts (61%) including 5-8 from 40-49 yards, and 0-3 from 50-plus yards.

The struggles from long distance aren’t new. Across his four years as a starter, Bond is just 18-for-31 from 40–49 yards (58%).

However, he was enjoying a solid 2025 campaign from the 40-49 yard mark before the South Carolina game, making four of his last six attempts.

Elko acknowledged the sudden regression.

“He had gone through a three or four week spell where we had not missed a kick and so felt like we had gotten into a better rhythm from where we were in the beginning of the year,” Elko said. “Then, those misses kind of came out of nowhere, a little bit, in the recent form. So, we'll continue to evaluate it and try to get back into a position and kind of see where it's at. Right now, Randy's our guy."

Playoff Football = Close Football

So far, A&M hasn’t had to depend on Bond to win a football game. That could change with the postseason approaching.

The Lone Star Showdown looms in two weeks. Before the rivalry paused, the last matchup in 2011 was decided by, fittingly, a game-winning kick by Justin Tucker.

The SEC Championship could follow, a game that has been decided by a field goal the last two years.

With the playoffs after that, three points could be the difference between chasing a national title or watching the dream die.

To be the kicker A&M needs down the stretch, Bond has to rediscover his 2024 form when he made 20 of 24 FG attempts, going 7 for 9 from the 40 to 49 range.

And eventually, the Aggies’ path to a championship may come down to Bond’s leg.