The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has released the 20 semifinalists for the 2025 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl. These 20 kickers have all excelled throughout the season in earning their places as semifinalists.
Only five of this year’s semifinalists have earned the honor before, led by Georgia junior Peyton Woodring who has now made the list three years running. He’s joined by Ole Miss junior Lucas Carneiro, Miami (OH) senior Dom Dzioban and Kansas senior Laith Marjan, all repeating from last season, as well as Florida senior Trey Smack who was a semifinalist in 2023.
They’re all chasing Hawaii senior Kansei Matsuzawa, whose 22-for-22 season puts him tied atop the FBS leaderboard in both made field goals and field goal percentage. He’s tied with fellow semifinalists in both categories: Georgia Tech junior Aidan Birr for makes, and the nation’s two other perfect kickers in Boston College junior Luca Lombardo (14-for-14) and Indiana sophomore Nico Radicic (13-for-13).
The list includes all 6 FBS kickers already at the 20 field goal mark: Birr (22), Matsuzawa (22), Carneiro (21), Oklahoma junior Tate Sandell (21), UConn graduate Chris Freeman (20) and LSU senior Damian Ramos (LSU). Sandell’s 21-for-22 season puts him right behind the three kickers yet to miss, followed by USC freshman Ryon Sayeri at 17-for-18. Together they comprise all FBS kickers with at least 16 makes and 1 miss or fewer.
The college game has seen an explosion of long-distance kicks this season, and fittingly, those big legs are well represented as semifinalists. Sandell’s 7-for-7 mark on kicks from 50 yards or longer not only leads FBS by a wide margin, but sits just one away from tying the all-time single-season record. The only other kicker with more than 2 long distance attempts yet to miss is Memphis junior Gianni Spetic (4-for-4). The semifinalist list also includes all 4 FBS kickers with double-digit field goals from 40 yards or longer: Sandell (14), Ramos (11), San Diego State senior Gabriel Plascencia (10) and Houston senior Ethan Sanchez (10).
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on November 25th and honored at the 34th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 8th in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Friday, December 12th.
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.
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.
For media inquiries please contact Scott Glinski, Director of Marketing at (561) 233-3182 or sglinski@palmbeachsports.com. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Jared Fleet, Director of Event Operations at the Palm Beach County Sports Commission at (561) 233-3120 or jfleet@palmbeachsports.com.
For more information regarding the 2025 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl, please visit LouGrozaAward.com, or follow on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
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.
