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.
Among the players on the Watch List are all 11 returning FBS kickers who made more than 20 field goals last season: USC sophomore Caden Chittenden (26), Miami (OH) senior Dom Dzioban (26), Missouri sophomore Blake Craig (24), BYU senior Will Ferrin (24), SMU senior Collin Rogers (24), LSU senior Damian Ramos (23), UAB junior Jonah Delange (21), Iowa State sophomore Kyle Konrardy (21), Arkansas State junior Clune Van Andel (21), Georgia junior Peyton Woodring (21), and Zvada (21).
In terms of accuracy, all 4 returning FBS kickers who attempted at least 15 field goals and made them at a 90% rate or better are on the Watch List: Zvada (95.5%), Ole Miss junior Lucas Carneiro (94.7%), Kansas senior Laith Marjan (94.1%), and Woodring (91.3%). They’re also joined by Oklahoma State senior Gabe Panikowski, who went a perfect 15-for-15 at FCS Idaho State last year.
Accuracy from distance matters as well. In addition to Rogers, whose 15 field goals from at least 40 yards out came just one shy of the FBS record last year, the Watch List includes the 9 returning kickers with at least 9 field goals from 40+ yards while still connecting at 80% or better overall: Ferrin (10), Zvada (10), Texas A&M graduate Randy Bond (9), Carneiro (9), Arizona State senior Jesus Gomez (9), Oklahoma junior Tate Sandell (9), Stevens (9), Vanderbilt junior Brock Taylor (9), and Woodring (9).
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 .
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.
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.
Lou Groza Award 2025 watch list
- Nolan Hauser, Clemson
- Collin Rogers, SMU
- John Love, Virginia Tech
- Upton Bellenfant, Texas Tech
- Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA
- Randy Bond, Texas A&M
- Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss
- Caden Chittenden, USC
- Blake Craig, Missouri
- Jonah Delange, UAB
- Dom Dzioban, Miami (OH)
- Will Ferrin, BYU
- Chris Freeman, UConn
- Max Gilbert, Tennessee
- Jesus Gomez, Arizona State
- Kyle Konrardy, Iowa State
- Dylan Lynch, Fresno State
- Laith Marjan, Kansas
- Alex McPherson, Auburn
- Gabe Panikowski, Oklahoma State
- Damian Ramos, LSU
- 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