Recruiting guide
Kicker recruiting benchmarks, by division
Benchmarks verified September 16, 2026. Every number names its source. Free, no account, nothing gated.
Kickers are the most objectively measured players on the field, and the benchmarks are more public than anywhere else in recruiting. Four published boards disagree at the edges; all four are below.
NCSA's kicker guidelines
| Tier | Kickoff avg | FG range | Hang |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 (FBS/FCS) | 65+ yds | 55+ yds | 3.8 sec |
| D2 | 55–60 yds | 50+ yds | 3.6 sec |
| D3/NAIA | 40–45 yds | 45+ yds | 3.4 sec |
Source: ncsasports.org football recruiting guidelines (kicker). Honors: All-State multiple years at D1, All-Conference at D2, at least one year All-Conference at D3/NAIA.
The Kicking Coach's board
| Tier | FG, ground | FG, block | Kickoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | 55+ yds | 60+ yds | 70+ range |
| D2 | 50+ yds | 55+ yds | 65+ range |
| D3 | 45+ yds | 50+ yds | 60+ avg |
Source: thekickingcoach.com benchmarks page. NAIA: similar standards to D2. Their note on D1: a 55-yard range is more likely a walk-on candidate than a scholarship one.
Where the boards disagree
National Kicking Service publishes a chart between the two: FBS average kickoff 65 (longest 70+), FCS average 62, D2 average 60+. Lance O's Recruiting Network is the loosest, putting D1 FBS field-goal range at 50+ and D2/D3/NAIA/JUCO together at 40+.
Read them together and the honest spread is this: a kicker with 50-yard range and 3.6-second hang is on some board at every level below the top, and which board a coach recruits by decides the verdict. Kicking-camp ratings (Kohl's publishes per-player hang times and ratings) are treated as evidence by coaches, but no camp publishes a division-by-division requirement chart.
Sources: kickpunt.com college recruiting process page; lanceosrecruitingnetwork.com team benchmarks.