APAnd the email inbox-stuffing of preseason award watch lists rolls on. Today’s lists are the Lou Groza Award, given to college football’s most outstanding place kicker, and the Ray Guy Award for the nation’s best punter.
So, yes, feel free to skip these at your leisure.
Of the 30 kickers on the Groza Award watch list, seven are from the Big Ten and six are from the SEC. Coincidentally, that’s the average score of a Big Ten conference game, so it all comes together nicely.
The winner will be announced on Dec. 6 during the College Football Awards Show on ESPN. Last year’s recipient was Randy Bullock from Texas A&M.
You can view all of the individual preseason watch lists in one handy repository HERE, and the entire Lou Groza Award watch list below.
Drew Alleman, LSU
Brett Baer, Louisiana
Drew Basil, Ohio State
Tyler Bitancurt, West Virginia
Maikon Bonani, USF
Chris Boswell, Rice
Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson
Dan Conroy, Michigan State
Mitch Ewald, Indiana
Anthony Fera, Penn State
Andrew Furney, Washington State
Brendan Gibbons, Michigan
Jack Griffin, FIU
Andre Heidari, USC
Parker Herrington, Air Force
Zach Hocker, Arkansas
Dustin Hopkins, Florida State
Michael Hunnicutt, Oklahoma
Ty Long, UAB
Brett Maher, Nebraska
Craig McIntosh, Kentucky
Mike Meyer, Iowa
Jimmy Newman, Wake Forest
Cody Parkey, Auburn
Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
Jeremy Shelley, Alabama
Caleb Sturgis, Florida
Matt Weller, Ohio
Jake Wieclaw, Miami
Jordan Williamson, Stanford
I know some of these place kickers and the ones I now are really good at placing the kicks where they want them, oftentimes away from the best return specialists of their opponents.
I hope Drew Allemand kicks more than all others because this year LSU is actually going to have an offense to go with their excellent defense. Maybe Zach Mettenberger and team can actually get some long passes down the field and get much more offense and scoring generated and Allemand gets a chance to win this one by elevating his game a little.
Best to all the nominees. Can’t wait for the season to start, come on already!
Quinn Sharp!
All others need not apply