Wisconsin football kicker named to 2025 Lou Groza Award watch list
As of Aug. 1, Vakos is among five Badger playmakers to receive preseason watch list honors for positional awards. He joins punter Atticus Bertrams, linebacker Christian Alliegro, cornerback Ricardo Hallman and wide receiver Vinny Anthony.
Established in 1992, the Lou Groza Award annually recognizes the best place-kicker in college football. Notable collegiate alumni to receive the recognition include Michigan's Jake Moody (2021), Georgia's Rodrigo Blankenship (2019), Utah's Matt Gay (2017), UCLA's Ka'imi Fairbairn (2015), Tulane's Cairo Santos (2012) and Tulane's Sebastian Janikowski (1998-99).
Like in 2024, just 30 place-kickers from across the nation netted a watch list nomination. Including Vakos, a total of five Big Ten kickers appeared on the 30-player group.
The award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Nov. 18, from which a panel of Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches, media members, sports information directors, current NFL kickers and former Lou Groza Award finalists will pinpoint their top three selections. One athlete will receive the honor during ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12.
Vakos enters his third season as a Badger after logging 12 appearances for the team in 2024. The Avon, Ohio, native went 12-of-19 on field goals, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark from 50+ yards. He also nailed all 31 of his extra point attempts. In the process, he became the program's all-time leader in 50+ yard field goals with four.
In 25 career games, Vakos has converted on 27 of his 38 field goal attempts with a long of 53 yards. His 15-of-19 field goal conversion rate, 34-of-34 mark on extra points and 14-of-15 rate from inside 50 yards in 2023 was enough to make him a Lou Groza Award semifinalist. He'll look to replicate that production in 2025.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lions sign veteran offensive tackle, waive Raequan Williams
The Lions have made their first roster move following the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Detroit has signed veteran offensive lineman Justin Herron and released defensive lineman Raequan Williams. Herron, 29, has been around the NFL since 2020, when he was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots. He played collegiately at Wake Forest and quickly took over the starting left tackle role in New England as a rookie, but has started just four games in the subsequent four seasons. Herron missed the 2024 season with an injury while a member of the New Orleans Saints. He's also played for the Raiders. Williams had signed with the Lions this spring after a successful tryout at the rookie minicamp. The former Michigan State tackle had not progressed up the depth chart in his quest to get back into the NFL. Per team sources, Herron will take over Williams' No. 76 on the roster. The move comes in the wake of Dan Skipper suffering a sprained left ankle in the exhibition opener. Skipper will miss some practice time. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker is starting positional drills in Sunday's practice. This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions sign offensive tackle, Justin Herron, waive Raequan Williams
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lions hope to get Terrion Arnold back this week
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold left practice with a hamstring injury last week and he'll miss a little more time before he's ready to return to action. Head coach Dan Campbell said in a Sunday press conference that Arnold avoided a significant injury and that the team is bringing him back slowly to make sure that it doesn't develop into something more serious. "He'll be down for a little bit," Campbell said. "It's not a major hamstring. This is a low-grade, but we're trying to be smart with it. We're hoping to have him back by the middle of the week." Campbell also said that left tackle Taylor Decker will take part in individual work at Sunday's practice. Decker has been on the physically unable to prepare list since the start of camp due to a shoulder issue. While Decker is going to be on the field, reserve tackle Dan Skipper is set to miss about a week with an ankle injury.
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
James Franklin updates Penn State's backup QB decision
Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer still competing to back up Drew Allar For the third striaght season, Penn State knows who the starting quarterback of the team will be. But one of the more important questions at the position may not be answered before the start of the season. Who will be the backup option to Drew Allar should one be needed to call into action? After losing Beau Pribula to the transfer portal just before the start of the College Football Playoff last season, Penn State's top two options behind Allar come down to redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik and redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer. If you are to take anything head coach James Franklin said to heart during a media day session on Saturday, the decision may linger into the season. "That one in the spring was really tightly contested," Franklin said on Saturday when meeting with the media. "This thing is, I think, going to go right down to the wire." Franklin suggested the decision on who will back up Allar could be determined on a weekly basis based on performance during the week during practices, which suggests Franklin and his staff are not comfortable making a firm call at this time and are encouraging more competition for the job. "Depending, if it finishes up like it did in the spring, it could continue throughout the entire year," Franklin said. "If it's close, if there's a gap, there's a gap. If it's close, I think the competition could go throughout the year, whoever has the best week that week is going to be the backup quarterback type of deal, just based on how close it was this spring." This is a tactic that is not new for Franklin. We have seen this strategy play out multiple times in recent seasons with the backup quarterback decision-making. In 2021, there was some indecision on who would be the backup option to cemented starter Sean Clifford with Ta'Quan Roberson and Christian Veilleux competing for the backup job. Penn State was forced to throw in Roberson in a tough spot on the road against Iowa when Clifford was knocked out of a game, and Roberson showed he was not at all ready for the spot. Later in the season, when Clifford was again banged up in a game, it was Veilleux who stepped onto the field as his replacement. Franklin explained that Veilleux was not ready for the spot earlier in the season against Iowa. Smolik, who flipped from Tulane to Penn State in 2023, missed the 2024 season due to an injury, and Grunkemeyer did not get on the field until getting a chance to relieve Allar in a win in the first round of the College Football Playoff last season against SMU. Grunkemeyer may have the more promising future outlook as the possible successor to Allar in 2026, but Franklin and his staff will not worry about what could be in 2026 when it comes to determining the best option to win on a week-to-week basis this season. Of course, the hope is that Franklin and his staff will not have to lose too much sleep over who fills in for Allar. Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.
