Former UH kicker Matsuzawa signs free-agent deal with Raiders

From Oahu to the Ninth Island, former University of Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa has reached agreement on a three-year, free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Only the undisclosed signing bonus is guaranteed. If he makes the active roster, he will earn the NFL’s first-year minimum salary of $885,000 for the 2026 season.

Agent Bardia Ghahremani said Matsuzawa will report to the Raiders’ rookie mini camp this coming weekend, and will begin the offseason training program on May 4.

The Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams also showed strong interest in Matsuzawa.

“We knew we wanted to go (to Las Vegas),” said Ghahremani, a chief executive officer at International Sports Agency. “That was our No. 1 spot.”

Ghahremani said Las Vegas senior special teams coach Marquice Williams and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis factored heavily in Matsuzawa’s decision.

“That really was the decision maker,” Ghahremani said. “He absolutely loved the special teams coordinators. They were really great with him. They’re both great at developing guys to make them stars. That was really the factor. We really wanted to go somewhere that actually loves him, cares about him, believes in him, and really wanted him to be successful in his future. Both Marquice Williams and Joe Decamillis were those guys. That was the No. 1 point for us.”

Ghahremani said the Raiders were in contact with Matsuzawa throughout the three-day draft in Pittsburgh. Matsuzawa attended the draft as part of the NFL International Pathway Program.

Matsuzawa grew up in Chiba, Japan, and learned placekicking from YouTube videos and playing two years at Hocking College. Matsuzawa, nicknamed the “Tokyo Toe,” was the Rainbow Warriors’ first consensus first team All-American after connecting on 25 of 26 field goals in 2025.