Martin Connington in line to be KU’s kicker, balancing pre-med in school

Kansas added an experienced player to the special teams this offseason landing Michigan State transfer Martin Connington through the transfer portal. Connington arrives in Lawrence after serving as the Spartans’ starting kicker in 2025, where he earned Academic All-Big Ten honors while leading Michigan State in scoring with 63 points. He connected on 12-of-16 field goals, made 27-of-28 extra points and averaged 62.0 yards on 37 kickoffs with 19 touchbacks. Now, he hopes those experiences in the Big Ten will help him make an immediate impact with the Jayhawks. Connington said playing in one of the nation’s best conferences gave him valuable experience. “I like to think that I experienced a lot of different environments,” Connington told Jayhawk Slant. “I mean, there’s some pretty brutal conditions that you face in the Big Ten, and obviously we played a game in Nebraska, which they sell out every time. You play in a lot of different environments that I think are preparing me well for my future here. I also think that I can contribute well as a kicker.” Adjusting to a new program is not always easy, especially when it means learning a new locker room. But Connington said the transition has been smoother than expected because of the people around him. He said the coaching staff and players have made it easy to settle into his new surroundings while helping newcomers feel like part of the team. “Learning names is hard. It’s always hard because then you get used to the new team, and then suddenly I’m on a new team and there’s new people,” he said. “Other people on the team are also learning new names. So I think it’s good. I think the people here make it a lot easier, and it doesn’t feel like you’re getting thrown into the fire. I think they do a great job here kind of getting you acclimated with team activities and doing everything to make it a closer team.” Kansas also offered Connington that goes outside of football. While searching for his next school, he wanted to find a place where he could continue pursuing his long-term career goals in medicine. That combination made Kansas stand out. “I obviously hit the portal. I didn’t really know where I was going to end up,” he said. “I was looking for a program where I could develop, not only academically, but on the football side. I knew that at a couple of the schools I wanted to pursue, I couldn’t pursue medicine, which is what I’m hoping to get into. And I know here they also had a dedicated kicking coach with Coach Deween that I think could really make me a better kicker. So when I had the opportunity to come here, it was kind of a no-brainer. I could pursue what I wanted to academically and have someone who’s going to make me better at kicking.” Along with handling the duties of being Kansas’ kicker, Connington is also balancing the schedule of a pre-med student. His days are packed with football, academics and preparing for a future, but he said the support from the coaching staff has made it possible. Connington is currently working toward his CNA certification while volunteering at a hospital, giving him hands-on medical experience as he continues toward medical school. “My schedule’s pretty tight,” he said. “Right now, I’m getting a certification to be a CNA so I can work in the hospital. I already volunteer at the hospital and I’m picking up a lot of different things. But they support us a lot with what we need to get done. If there was ever a conflict or something that I felt I needed to go and do, they’d be completely supportive. As long as you communicate with them, it makes it pretty easy. I think obviously it’s a lot. You need perfect grades.”