Jonathan Kim is back, and he provides more than just stability

Jonathan Kim announced on Twitter that he’s coming back for one final season of eligibility in East Lansing.

One of Michigan State’s biggest weaknesses in 2022 was at the kicker position. But the Spartans turned it around in 2023, making it one of the team’s strengths. That was all thanks to the addition of Jonathan Kim. The North Carolina transfer provided much needed stability at a position that struggled mightily in 2022.

Punting was never an issue for the Spartans’ special teams as the transition from Bryce Baringer, now punting for the New England Patriots, to Ryan Eckley couldn’t have been smoother. Luckily, Kim also provided a smooth transition for the 2023 Spartans. And he won’t be going anywhere in 2024.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Spartans’ kicker made it clear that he’s sticking around East Lansing for another season.

Sticking around

On his X account, Kim made a simple gesture to signify his plans for 2023.

Hopefully this clears things up pic.twitter.com/ioyXMFTPvu

— Jonathan Kim (@Jonathans_kim17) December 12, 2023

The kicker position is one that can easily be taken for granted on a football roster. Because, truthfully, you never know how important consistency and stability is, until you don’t have it. Spartan fans knew that feeling all too well after the 2022 season. It was a missed field goal that kept them from playing in a bowl game. Not to mention, it was an ever-changing platoon, and you never knew who was going to get a shot.

Needed stability

Jonathan Kim transferred from North Carolina to Michigan State with only one field goal attempt under his belt. On top of that, only three PATs had been attempted in his two years in Chapel Hill. But the expectation wasn’t for him to be perfect, because the bar was already set low.

In 2022, Michigan State hit only 50 percent of its field goals. Jack Stone, who transferred after the season, went 2-for-4 on field goal attempts and Ben Patton hit 4-of-8. But what was more glaring, was the Spartans unwillingness to even try in some cases. Instead, trying to convert on fourth-and-long, and short-field punts became a trend that caused groans and “boos” all around Spartan Stadium.

The Spartans’ combined 50 percent on field goal attempts would have ranked second-to-last in college football had they even qualified.

Moreover, Michigan State struggled with kickoffs. In 2022, it ranked second-to-last in kickoffs going for touchbacks at only 23.6%. Opponents averaged the second-most return yards in the conference as well. It was a glaring issue for the Spartans, but one Kim was going to at least try and fix.

Kim: Not just stable, but also very good

Coming from North Carolina, Kim averaged a 79 percent touchback rate. Field position is an under-looked part of what you take for granted in a good kicker, and in 2023 Kim averaged a 65.12% touchback rate on 43 kick-offs. A welcome site for the Spartan defense.

Kim also hit all 17 of his extra-point attempts, another positive after both kickers in 2022 missed an attempt Jonathan Kim helped add an average of 4.7 points per game, per cfbstats.com. What isn’t factored in is how differently Michigan State was able to operate inside their own 50, in a good way. The Spartans’ kicker even had a career-long field goal of 58 yards against Iowa in September, the fourth-longest in MSU history, and led the Big Ten in 50-plus-yard kicks. Overall, he hit 13 of his 18 field goal attempts, which shows both consistency and more volume than in 2022.

What this means for Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Kim and Ryan Eckley combined for one of the better special teams duos in the Big Ten. Eckley was name the Freshman All-American Punter of the Year, and Kim earned Big Ten honorable mention honors by both the media and coaches.

Kim isn’t going to be head coach Jonathan Smith’s biggest recruit. He wont change much in terms of Smith’s vision in East Lansing. In fact, it might not even have taken much to get Kim to stay. But as Michigan State fans can attest, having a consistent kicker makes things a lot more comfortable entering a new season. A welcome sight in East Lansing, Kim gives Spartan fans at least one less thing to worry about in 2024.