2023 Football Roster
Roster
R.J. Lopez
- Position:
- Kicker
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 190
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Huntington Beach, Calif.
- High School:
- Mission Viejo HS
2023
Connected on six of 11 field goal attempts in his first season as a place kicker, including five of seven kicks from under 40 yards ... booted a season-long 47-yard field goal against Coastal Carolina ... recorded seven touchbacks on his 15 kickoffs.
2022
Served as the kickoff specialist for all 13 games ... recorded touchbacks on 60 of his 91 kickoffs (66%) ... his total of 60 touchbacks was the most by a Pac-12 player.
2021
Served as the kickoff specialist for all 12 games ... recorded touchbacks on 52 of his 81 kickoffs (64%) ... his total of 52 touchbacks tied for best in the Pac-12 ... named to the Pac-12 2021-22 Fall Academic Honor Roll.
2020
Handled the kickoff duties in all seven games ... recorded touchbacks on 25 of his 44 kickoffs (57%) ... his total of 25 touchbacks led the Pac-12 ... UCLA ranked sixth in the league in kickoff coverage with a 39.8-yard net ... his average kickoff of 62.5 yards was second in the Pac-12.
High School
Two-star prospect according to 247Sports and Rivals … career-long field goal: 46 yards vs. Mater Dei in the CIF semifinals … converted six of 10 field-goal attempts and all 70 extra-point attempts in 2019; recorded 75 touchbacks on 85 kickoffs … chosen to Cal-Hi Sports All-State First Team in 2019 … named to All-County First Team by OC Register in 2019 … made all five field-goal attempts and all 11 extra-point attempts in 2018; registered 22 touchbacks on 29 kickoffs … helped South team to victory at 2020 Orange County North-South All-Star Classic in Costa Mesa, Calif. … selected to 2019 All-SoCal Varsity Team by Southern California News Group … Diablos reached CIF-Southern Section Division 1 semifinal round in 2019, finishing 11-1 … honored as scholar-athlete (All-League or All-Conference First Team and 3.5 grade-point average or better) by National Football Foundation/Orange County Chapter in 2020.
Personal
Son of Sandra and Richard Lopez ... has one brother, Nick, a kicker on the University of California football team ... dad was a professional soccer player and mom was a competitive bodybuilder ... Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi are the famous athletes he most admires ... hobbies include surfing, hiking, listening to music and video games ... named to the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll ... earned a spot on the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 ... biology major.
