About

Alejandro Mata is a 5‑foot‑9, 190‑pound placekicker for the University of Colorado Buffaloes who has earned a reputation for steady nerves and pinpoint accuracy. Now a senior, he first lit up the college stage at Jackson State before transferring to Boulder, following the magnetic pull of coach Deion “Prime” Sanders.

On September 7, 2024, Mata drilled extra points in Colorado’s nationally televised win over Nebraska, the latest chapter in a cross‑continental journey that began thousands of miles from Folsom Field. His booming right leg and upbeat personality have turned him into a fan favorite and a reminder that college football’s talent pipeline now stretches far beyond the usual zip codes.

A milestone came on March 27, 2024, when Mata raised his right hand in a Denver courthouse and became a U.S. citizen. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I remain deeply connected to and proud of my Latin‑American roots, and I’m committed to representing them with pride…Viva México, Vamos Panamá, and God bless America!”

Bios

Position:	Kicker
Weight:	190
Hometown:	Buford, Ga.
Prev School:	Jackson State
Height:	5-9
Class:	Senior
High School:	Buford
Major:	Exploratory Studies
Alejandro Mata Net Worth	$150,000

Before Fame

Mata was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Frequent relocations—first Mexico, then Brazil—owed to his father’s work for an international company before settling in Leesburg, Georgia, and subsequently Buford when Alejandro was 16 years old. Those were the experiences, he claims, that conditioned him to quickly adjust to new locker rooms, cultures, and languages.

Soccer was his first love. During eighth‑grade P.E., a teacher noticed him crushing long balls and urged him to try American football. At Buford High, he seized the kicking job as a junior and delivered back‑to‑back Georgia state titles, including an overtime field goal in 2020 and the decisive PAT in 2021.

Scholarship offers were scarce, so Mata and his dad hit the road, filming unofficial workouts for any coach who would watch. One did: Deion Sanders at Jackson State. In 2022, Mata became a Freshman All‑American after hitting 12‑of‑13 field goals and 50‑of‑51 PATs for the Tigers. When Sanders accepted the Colorado job that winter, Mata packed his cleats and followed.

Trivia

• Favorite kick: Not the 43‑yard game‑winner against Arizona State on Oct. 7, 2023, but his very first collegiate field goal—a 34‑yarder at Hard Rock Stadium against Florida A&M that launched his career.
• Long range: Coaches label him a “line‑drive” specialist, yet he feels comfortable from 53–54 yards in practice and is working daily to stretch that ceiling.
• Three-time hero: In between high school and college, he already has three last-second, game-winning kicks—two in Georgia state-title games and the thriller at Arizona State.
• Trilingual: Following years in Latin America and the U.S., Mata speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English, switching freely in interviews with Hispanic media outlets.
• Citizenship celebration: His naturalization ceremony coincided with spring practice in the middle; teammates cheered as he walked into the locker room waving a small American flag.

Family Life

Mata’s parents and two younger sisters still live in Buford and stream every Colorado game. He attributes his own preoccupation with preparing to his father’s, stating his biggest aspiration is “kicking long enough to retire Dad.”

The family remains connected to Honduras, Mexico, and Brazil despite frequent travel. Holiday gatherings bounce between Spanish and Portuguese, with football talk often sharing the table with fútbol. Those roots fuel Mata’s pride in being one of the few Latino kickers in Power 5 football.

Associated With

The name most closely linked to Alejandro Mata is Deion Sanders. Coach Prime offered his lone scholarship, mentored him at Jackson State, and trusted him enough to bring him to Colorado. Mata often says Sanders teaches “life as much as football,” encouraging players to envision careers and businesses beyond the gridiron.

On the field, he shares headlines with quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two‑way star Travis Hunter, forming part of the multicultural, social‑media‑savvy roster that has rebranded Colorado football. Whether drilling clutch kicks or dancing in postgame victory videos, Mata adds a distinct Latin vibe to the Buffaloes’ emerging story.