Where do we even begin?
You could make an argument that 10 different Trojan players could be the key player for the 2022 campaign.
Of course, Caleb Williams has all the eyes and pressure on him and is earning Heisman Trophy consideration.
Pete Fiutak of College Football News broke down the key player to this season, and no, it isn’t Caleb Williams.
PK Alex Stadthaus, Sr.
Parker Lewis didn’t have the deepest of legs, but he had 50-yard range and nailed 5-of-9 field goals from beyond 40 yards. He was all-star worthy, but he’s gone off to the transfer portal.Enter Stadthaus, a solid veteran who hit all six of his field goal attempts, but his longest was from 40 and four of them were inside 30 yards.
The placekicking didn’t matter all that much last year in deciding outcomes, but considering just about everything else is in place thanks to the transfer portal, the difference between this being a great season and a College Football Playoff-worthy run might come down to Stadthaus being steady from 40ish.
Before you panic, Fiutak does have Williams as the key transfer, so there’s that. Fiutak has a terrific point about this season: A lot of games might come down to a field goal, making the kicker more important than ever before.
The pressure is on for Alex Stadthaus, the senior kicker who might have every eye on him in crunch time a few times this season.
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