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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – With all three of last year’s finalists graduating, it’s a wide-open field on the thirty-player Watch List for the 2025 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
Just over half the members of the Watch List have been previously named semifinalists for the award, with only two earning the honor multiple times: Iowa senior Drew Stevens in 2022 and 2023, and Michigan senior Dominic Zvada in 2022 and 2024.
While the Watch List highlights 30 of the best returning kickers in the country, 2024 Lou Groza Award winner Kenneth Almendares was not on last year’s list, proof that the Groza Committee will in fact be watching all FBS kickers throughout the season, as all FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists. The Committee also releases its “Stars of the Week” feature throughout the season on www.lougrozaaward.com.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Tuesday, November 18th. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Tuesday, November 25th. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Friday, December 12th during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is voter for the Lou Groza Award.
Upton Bellenfant, Texas Tech
Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA
Randy Bond, Texas A&M
Lucas Carneiro, Ole Missbr
Caden Chittenden, USC
Blake Craig, Missouri
Jonah Delange, UAB
Dom Dzioban, Miami (Ohio)
Will Ferrin, BYU
Chris Freeman, UConn
Max Gilbert, Tennessee
Jesus Gomez, Arizona State
Nolan Hauser, Clemson
Kyle Konrardy, Iowa State
John Love, Virginia Tech
Dylan Lynch, Fresno State
Laith Marjan, Kansas
Alex McPherson, Auburn
Gabe Panikowski, Oklahoma State
Damian Ramos, LSU
Collin Rogers, SMU
Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
Mason Shipley, Texas
Trey Smack, Florida
Drew Stevens, Iowa
Brock Taylor, Vanderbilt
Nathanial Vakos, Wisconsin
Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State
Peyton Woodring, Georgia
Dominic Zvada, Michigan
2024 - Eddie Czaplicki, USC
2023 - Tory Taylor, Iowa
2022 - Adam Korsak, Rutgers
2021 - Matt Araiza, San Diego State
2020 - Pressley Harvin III, Georgia Tech
2019 - Max Duffy, Kentucky
2018 - Braden Mann, Texas A&M
2017 - Michael Dickson, Texas
2016 - Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah
2015 - Tom Hackett, Utah
2014 - Tom Hackett, Utah
2013 - Tom Hornsey, Memphis
2012 - Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech
2011 - Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech
2010 - Chas Henry, Florida
2009 - Drew Butler, Georgia
2008 - Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State
2007 - Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech
2006 - Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
2005 - Ryan Plackemeier, Wake Forest
2004 - Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
2003 - B.J. Sander, Ohio State
2002 - Mark Mariscal, Colorado
2001 - Travis Dorsch, Purdue
2000 - Kevin Sternke, Wisconsin
The 34th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet on December 8th in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.
For more information on the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award and to see the “Stars of the Week” throughout the season, please go to www.lougrozaaward.com. For even more updates on the best kicking performances throughout the season, follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter.
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.