About

Alexander Stoyanovich is the University of Colorado Buffaloes‘ freshman place-kicker. Measured at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, he is jersey No. 18 and opened up in 2024 as the team’s main kickoff specialist, booting 18 kickoffs for an average of 62.1 yards with three touchbacks in just three games. A South Lyon, Michigan, native, he already possesses a familiar big leg and should fight for full-time field-goal responsibilities as the Buffaloes make the move to Big 12 competition.

Bios

Position:	Kicker
Weight:	180
Hometown:	South Lyon, Mich.
Height:	5-9
Class:	Freshman
High School:	South Lyon
Alexander Stoyanovich Net Worth	$500 Thousand

Before Fame

Stoyanovich learned to kick on chilly Midwest evenings at South Lyon High School, where soccer fields doubled as make-shift uprights. Under coach Mark Thomas, he converted 12 of 14 extra points as a senior, was perfect on his lone field-goal attempt, and boomed kickoffs nearly 50 yards on average, production that landed him among the Top-50 prep kickers in Michigan.

College coaches took notice when videos of his long-distance practice sessions began circulating on social media. One clip from April 2024 shows the teenager drilling a 67-yard field goal—farther than the current NFL record—without the aid of a tee or the thin air of Colorado. A month later, on May 15, he announced his commitment to the Buffaloes.

Trivia

• Record-setting range: The 67-yard practice bomb that went viral wasn’t a one-off. Earlier in the same week, he casually cleared the crossbar from 60 yards—twice.
• Spring-game cameo: While utilized mostly on kickoffs last year, he received a late-spring opportunity to try a 55-yard field goal at Folsom Field and sailed it by inches, drawing a deafening ovation from the crowd that was more interested in witnessing his strength bequeathed. (Local broadcast replay, April 2025).
• Multi-sport roots: Until eighth grade, he split time between football and baseball, crediting batting practice for refining his timing and hip rotation—two keys to his kicking form. (Player interview, South Lyon booster podcast, 2023).
• NIL entrepreneur: His jersey is already featured in Colorado’s official NIL store, and he recently partnered with an athlete-insurance agency aimed at protecting college specialists.

Family Life

A kicking pedigree runs through the Stoyanovich household. Alexander is the nephew of former NFL All-Pro Pete Stoyanovich, who drilled a 58-yarder for the Miami Dolphins in the 1991 playoffs—still the longest made field goal in postseason history. Family gatherings often revolve around backyard contests in which the elder Pete offers technical tweaks while Alexander’s siblings shag footballs.

His parents, Nick and Grace, kept weekend drives short by choosing nearby South Lyon for youth leagues, but they never pressured him to follow Pete’s path. Instead, they emphasized academics and let him find kicking “when the soccer ball felt too light,” as he once joked. The family still resides in Michigan, streaming Buffalo games and visiting Boulder whenever the schedule allows.

Associated With

Stoyanovich’s college story is unfolding under the bright spotlight of head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, whose transfer-portal strategy reshaped Colorado’s roster in 2024. Sanders paired Alexander with veteran Alejandro Mata and fellow leg-royalty recruit Jace Feely—son of longtime NFL kicker Jay Feely—to create one of the most talked-about specialist rooms in the country.

Outside of the kicking unit, Alexander has also connected with All-American quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way sensation Travis Hunter, lingering after practice to run situational drills mimicking game-winning kicks. The added repetitions—and the guidance of Uncle Pete—might prove the difference when the Buffaloes inevitably encounter a close one in their new conference.