Wisconsin kicker Nathanial Vakos was included on the 2024 Lou Groza Award watch list on Friday.
The award began in 1992 and it recognizes the best place-kicker in college football each year. Vakos joins Badger safety Hunter Wohler and Wisconsin long snapper Cayson Pfeiffer as current Badgers to earn preseason watch list recognition.
Notable recent college football alumni to receive the honor include Michigan’s Jake Moody (2021), Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship (2019), Utah’s Matt Gay (2017), UCLA’s Ka’imi Fairbairn (2015) and Tulane’s Cairo Santos (2012).
Only 30 place-kickers across the country earned a watch list nomination. Those players include Big Ten rivals Dominic Zvada (Michigan), Drew Stevens (Iowa), Dragan Kesich (Minnesota) and Grady Gross (Washington).
Vakos enters his second season in Madison after playing all 13 games in 2023. His 15-of-19 field goal conversation rate, 34-of-34 mark on extra points and 14-of-15 rate from inside 50 yards earned him a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist nod.
What a special guy π¦Ώ@nathanial_vakos is on the @LouGrozaAward watch list which is given annually to the π§πππ’π¨π§βπ¬ ππ¨π© ππ¨π₯π₯ππ π’πππ π©π₯πππ-π€π’ππ€ππ« in the FBS. pic.twitter.com/LWnApAiEs4
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) August 2, 2024
Vakos also earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after his perfect 3-for-3 output against Purdue and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten for his season-long performance.
Given the pool of 30 and his track record from a season ago, the Avon, Ohio native could pocket the award with another stellar performance in 2024.