The national panel of college football experts assembled by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission has selected the three finalists for the 34th Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award. Aidan Birr of Georgia Tech, Kansei Matsuzawa of Hawaii, and Tate Sandell of Oklahoma will vie for the honor.
Birr, a junior from Kennedale, Texas, is tied for second in FBS with 22 field goals, but it’s the time and context of those makes that has defined his season. Out of Georgia Tech’s 9 wins, three required clutch kicks from Birr: a school-record 55-yarder as time expired to top Clemson 24-21, a 33-yarder with two seconds left to force overtime against Wake Forest, and a 23-yard game-winner to beat Boston College 36-34. His 108 points are second among all FBS kickers and the most in the ACC at any position.
Matsuzawa, a senior from Tokyo, Japan, has a chance to complete the most prolific perfect kicking season in FBS history. Not only do his 23 field goals lead all kickers in the nation, he’s needed exactly 23 attempts. At 23-for-23, he would top 2012 Groza winner Cairo Santos’ 21-for-21 season for the most field goals ever without a miss. No other kicker with even 15 attempts remains perfect this year. He’s gone 3-for-3 in five games, including the opener capped with a 38-yard game-winner as time expired.
Sandell, a junior from Port Neches, Texas, is on the verge of perhaps the greatest long-distance kicking season in FBS history. At a combined 15-for-16 from 40 yards or longer, he’s just one make away from tying the FBS record for field goals from at least 40 yards and could do it in 7 fewer attempts. His 7-for-7 mark from 50 yards includes four makes from 55-plus, one of only two FBS kickers in the last 30 years with such distance. At 22-for-23 overall, he’s tied for 2nd in field goals and sits 4th in percentage.
This year, fans can have their part in naming the winner of the Lou Groza Award. Fans can visit www.lougrozaaward.com and cast a vote for their favorite of the three finalists selected by the national panel of voters. The finalist who receives the greatest total of fan votes will be given one vote on the final ballot. One vote can make a difference in the final outcome so fans are encouraged to participate.
This year’s finalists were selected by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers. These finalists will be honored at the 34th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 8th in Palm Beach County. The same voting panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Friday, December 12th. For more information on the Lou Groza Award and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, visit www.palmbeachsports.com.
Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 33 finalists, including 17 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning 13 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home 8 Super Bowls. That list includes 2025 NFL kickers Daniel Carlson Jake Elliott, Ka’imi Fairbairn, Ryan Fitzgerald, Graham Gano, Matt Gay, Zane Gonzalez, Joshua Karty, Younghoe Koo, Jake Moody, Will Reichard, Cairo Santos and Andre Szmyt.
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.
About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and a local membership program that supports its goals. Local, regional, national, and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Award program, the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Kids Fitness Festival of the Palm Beaches. For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, go to www.palmbeachsports.com.
