TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona kicker Tyler Loop has been named a Semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, as announced today by the Orange Bowl. This award honors the nation's best kicker.
 
Tyler Loop is among 20 of the nation's best kickers for the second straight year after being named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award last season. Loop joins five other members of the semifinalists to make repeat appearances this season.

Loop has been fantastic this season, making 16-of-20 field goal attempts, including a program-record 62-yard field goal against Houston on Nov. 15. He has made 80 percent of his field goals and is in the top 15 nationally in field goal attempts (20) and field goals made (16).
 
The other repeat semifinalists include Miami senior Andres Borregales who is the only kicker named a semifinalist in each of the past three seasons, joined by Florida State senior Ryan Fitzgerald, and Georgia sophomore Peyton Woodring from 2023, and Michigan junior Dominic Zvada who made the list in 2022.

Among the new names on the list are all four FBS kickers who have already reached 20 field goals made. Louisiana senior Kenneth Almendares and UNLV freshman Caden Chittenden lead the nation with 22 makes, followed by 20 field goals each from Ole Miss senior Caden Davis and Miami (Ohio) junior Dom Dzioban.
 
The list also includes all seven FBS kickers connecting at a 90% or better rate on at least 15 attempts: Kentucky senior Alex Raynor (15-for-15), UAB sophomore Jonah Delange (19-for-20), Woodring (16-for-17), Texas Tech senior Gino Garcia (15-for-16), South Alabama junior Laith Marjan (15-for-16), Almendares (22-for-24), and Michigan State graduate Jonathan Kim (18-for-20).

The college game has seen an explosion of long-distance kicks this season, and fittingly, those big legs are well-represented as semifinalists. The list includes SMU junior Collin Rogers, whose 7 field goals from at least 50 yards are one away from tying the all-time FBS single-season record. Joining him are all six FBS kickers who have made 3 or more long-distance kicks while still connecting at better than 82% accuracy overall: Fitzgerald (5), Vanderbilt freshman Brock Taylor (5), Zvada (5), Pitt senior Ben Sauls (4), Western Kentucky sophomore Lucas Carneiro (3) and Kim (3).
 
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of 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 26 and honored at the 33rd annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet on December 9 in Palm Beach County. The same panel selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, December 12.
 
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, 32 finalists, including 17 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning 13 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home 7 Super Bowls. That list includes 2024 NFL kickers Daniel Carlson Jake Elliott, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Graham Gano, Matt Gay, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Joshua Karty, Younghoe Koo, Jake Moody, Will Reichard and Cairo Santos.
 
National College Football Awards Association
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football's most prestigious awards, and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
 
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.