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However, a quieter revolution is taking shape — and it can be viewed through one perfectly placed kick at a time.

Arizona is emerging as a breeding ground for elite kickers, thanks to access to year-round training, specialized programs and a wave of young athletes embracing the craft. The state known for its sweltering heat may seem a less likely source of these specialist recruits than football powerhouses from Texas, Florida and California, but it turns out that Arizona provides a perfectly unique set of opportunities for these athletes to thrive, in part because of a collection of talented kicking coaches.

“I study film, I study drills, I study each individual athlete’s movements,� said Steve Rausch, founder of Rausch Kicking, one of the top kicking programs in the state. “It’s what has allowed our specialists to develop at a level that I would honestly put up against anybody in any state across the country.�

Rausch, who kicked and punted for Arizona State from 1990-92, is making a name for himself in the Arizona kicking community as an insightful coach who has helped develop some of the nation’s top special team players.

Some notable kickers he has coached in recent years include Michigan’s Dominic Zvada, Washington’s Grady Gross and Basha High sophomore Mikey Barth, who is ranked No. 3 nationally according to Kohl’s Professional Kicking.

“Percentage wise, we probably have as many, if not the most, guys that transition out of high school into college and play as true freshmen,� Rausch said.

College kickers on the national stage

Zvada was one of those guys. Coming out of Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Zvada was less touted than other prospects in the class of 2022. He committed to Arkansas State, where he made 17 of his 18 field goal attempts and was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist as one of the nation’s top kickers in just his freshman year.

“I played soccer my whole life, as most kickers do,� Zvada said. “I really didn’t start playing football until junior high school. The team was small, and they needed a kicker, so I gave it a shot.�

Zvada eventually fell in the hands of Rausch, who helped mold him into a more complete kicker like he is today.

“He’s been with me ever since,� Zvada said. “I started going to camps and attending different things at different colleges. I was lucky to get an offer, and the rest is history.�

Zvada’s success led him to transfer to Michigan, where he broke out in 2024 for one of college football’s most historic programs. He went 21 for 22 on field-goal attempts, earning a variety of accolades highlighted by a first-team All-American selection and Big Ten Kicker of the Year award.

Despite building some NFL Draft buzz, Zvada decided to return to Michigan for another season, with his focus on having another big year for the Wolverines.

“I recently took all (my awards) down and put them in my closet because it’s all in the past,� Zvada said. “Right now, the goal is to do better this season than last season.�

Gross has also taken over the national stage in college football. An alum of Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Gross enrolled at the University of Washington, where he earned the starting place-kicker job in his sophomore season in 2023.

The Washington Huskies made it to college football’s national championship that season, with Gross playing a huge part in their run on special teams. He made a game-winning, 42-yard field goal to beat Washington State in a rivalry game, made two field goals in the Pac-12 Championship, three field goals in the Sugar Bowl and two more in the CFP title game. He ended the season 18 for 22 on field-goal attempts and led the Pac-12 Conference with 117 points scored.

“It was hard to believe it was going as well as it did through that process,� Gross said. “Being my first year starting, I just appreciated being able to play, first of all. And then getting to be in some big spots, playing in some big games, was just a bonus.�

For his efforts, Gross was awarded a scholarship in viral fashion, and then was voted as a team captain the following season. Already a folk hero on Washington’s campus, Gross will once again be the starting kicker for the Huskies going into his senior season.

“The offseason has been good,� Gross said following a weekend trip to the Valley, where he had a one-on-one session with Rausch. “I feel good with where I’m at now kicking the ball, so just gotta keep that going until the season starts.�

A growing community

Alex Zendejas Jr., who previously kicked at the University of Arizona, is another prominent kicking coach in the Arizona specialists community. Along with his father, Alex Zendejas Sr., he founded AZ Kicking & Training, another top program in the state. He believes the mindset of collective improvement and competition has created a strong culture among local kickers.

“They surround themselves with guys that are on the same mission and just make each other better,� Zendejas Jr. said. “There’s no special formula, there’s no special coaching technique. It’s just guys that want to do well, they’re not afraid to put in the work.�

Zvada added, “I think that’s what makes the Arizona kickers great — because there’s a great group of guys that are consistently pushing each other to be even better than we were before.�

Gross agrees, as one of his toughest competitors growing up was none other than Zvada.

“We’ve known each other for seven, eight years now,� Gross said. “Both of us competing in high school definitely made me better. And now we get to play each other in the regular season so that will be really fun.�

Reciprocally, Gross’ success at Washington while Zvada was still at Arkansas State instilled confidence in Zvada’s decision to make the jump to a powerhouse program.

“It was really cool to see him on the big screen having success,� Zvada said. “And so even seeing that I was like, OK, if he can do it, I know that I’m able to do it, too.’�

That community-first, competitive mentality is rubbing off on the next wave of specialists.

Barth, a rising junior in high school, is already earning high praise at a local and national level. He holds a scholarship offer from Arizona State, where his dad kicked, and will surely rack up more offers as his upperclassmen years in high school progress.

“It’s a good community to be around,� Barth said. “(Guys like Zvada and Gross) give me some tips, help me out on the mental side of the game and I like watching them kick.�

Recently, ASU held a specialists camp at its practice fields in Tempe to give high schoolers and junior college players from Arizona and beyond a chance to showcase their skills while learning new ones. Awards were given out to the top kicker, punter and long snapper – with Barth finishing ahead of the pack among the kickers after he nailed a 52-yard field goal to win a distance and accuracy competition.

“He has a rare combination of the fastest leg speed I think I’ve probably ever seen in coaching, which is saying a lot,� Rausch said of Barth. “With swing control, which you typically don’t see both, and then you combine it with the fact that he’s not 6-3 like Dom Zvada – he’s 5-9, 160 pounds.�

But physical tools alone don’t guarantee results. The consistency of development and access to resources in Arizona has proven to be just as important. That structure has even allowed total beginners to turn themselves into college-level prospects.

“We’ve seen a lot of kids come in that have no background in kicking, no background in soccer, and years down the road here, they’re able to put themselves in a position to play at the next level,� Zendejas Jr. said. “I forget the percentage off the top of my head, but I believe it’s less than 7% of high school athletes play at the next level.�