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The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to college football's best kicker. On Aug. 2 the Palm Beach County Sports Commission will announce their award watch list for the 2024 season. The award is named after Lou "The Toe" Groza, a former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns kicker.
Groza was an offensive tackle and kicker on the Buckeyes freshman team in 1942 before enlisting as a surgical technician in the United States Army. After the war was over, Groza kicked for the Browns for more than two decades beginning in 1946. He won four NFL Championships and was named first or second-team All-Pro six times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
2023 Lou Groza Award Winner
Last year's Groza winner is also one of this year's favorites. Current Alabama and former Miami (OH) kicker Graham Nicholson took home the hardware in 2023, after going 27-of-28 on field goals and 35-of-37 on extra points. Nicholson's longest kick last year was 52 yards. Nicholson made steady improvements over the past three seasons with the RedHawks. Nicholson completed 75 percent and 78 percent of his field goals in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Nicholson transferred to Alabama for his senior season and will replace Will Reichard, who left for the NFL. Reichard was a finalist in 2023 for the Lou Groza award alongside Nicholson. The Crimson Tide will be looking to repeat as Southeastern Conference Champions in 2024 under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer.
Bert Auburn, Texas Longhorns
In the Longhorns inaugural season in the SEC, it is fitting that they will rely on a kicker whose last name is Auburn. Last season, he was selected as an All-American Honorable Mention after going 29-of-35 on field goals, with a long of 54 yards. He also successfully converted on all 56 extra-point attempts. Auburn set Texas and Big 12 Conference records after making 19 consecutive field goals. He was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2022 and first-team All-Big 12 in 2023.
Andres Borregales, Miami Hurricanes
Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes are expected to compete for an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and a College Football Playoff berth this season. They will rely on Borregales to continue to be as consistent as he has been over the past three seasons.
Borregales was All-Atlantic Coast Conference Honorable Mention in 2021 and 2022 and made first-team All-ACC in 2023. He was a semifinalist for the Groza Award last year after going 22-of-26 on field goals and 44-of-45 on extra point attempts. Borregales has a career long of 55 yards.
Dragan Kesich, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Kesich has been with the Golden Gophers since 2020. After spending his first three season handling the kickoff duties, Kesich took over as the field goal kicker in last season. In 2023, he won Big Ten Conference Kicker of the Year and finished first-team All-Big Ten after going 23-of-27 on field goals with a long of 54. Kesich started his career as a walk-on and was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy last season. At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Kesich is one of the most physically imposing placekickers in the nation.
Mason Shipley, Texas State Bobcats
Shipley is a redshirt junior at Texas State, where he was named first-team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2023. Shipley set school records with 15 field goals made, with a long of 47. In his career, Shipley is 16-of-16 on field goals and 58-of-59 on extra points. In 2022, Shipley set the Bobcats career record after making a 54-yarder. Shipley was a semifinalist for the Groza last season.
Other names to look out for include Alex McPherson from Auburn, Tyler Loop from Arizona, Drew Stevens at Iowa and North Carolina's Noah Burnette.
Be sure to check out College Football Dawgs for more preseason watch lists, including the Ray Guy Award for the nation's best punter, the Davey O'Brien for best quarterback and Maxwell Award for best overall player in the country.
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