Iowa Hawkeyes’ Drew Stevens named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist

Special Teams U. Iowa freshman kicker Drew Stevens is one of the 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award.

Iowa has been known collectively across the college football world in recent years as “Tight End U.” Besides maybe Miami, no other team is more synonymous with the tight end position.

Recent success stories include new Minnesota Viking T.J. Hockenson, and current Mackey Award semifinalist Sam LaPorta.

This season, though, it seems that Iowa is trying to make their case for “Special Teams U.”

We all know just how good of a punter Tory Taylor has been this season. At times the favorite player and somewhat a meme amongst the Iowa fanbase, Taylor has built a case all season as the best punter in the nation. He is third in the nation in total yards with 2,522, averaging 45.9 yards a boot.

He is second in punts downed inside the 20-yard line with 23, and 60% of his kicks result in the opposing team starting it somewhere inside of their own 20-yard line. He is a big-time candidate for the Ray Guy Award for the best punter in the nation.

He is not the only Hawkeye special teamer earning some recognition this season, though. Freshman place kicker Drew Stevens was recently named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. Annually given out to the best place kicker in the nation since 1992, the freshman was one of 20 semifinalists.

Stevens has made 12 of his 14 field goal attempts this season. He is perfect beyond 50 yards, including a 51-yard kick at Rutgers and a 54-yarder against Northwestern. That 54-yard field goal ties as the seventh-longest in program history, per the University of Iowa Athletic’s press release.

He is the sixth Hawkeye to be named a semifinalist for The Groza Award. Last year’s kicker Caleb Shudak was a finalist in 2021. The last Iowa player to win the award was Nate Kaeding back in 2002.

Stevens, despite not being the clear starter at the position ahead of the season, is on a record-breaking freshman campaign for the Hawkeyes this year. His 12 field goals are the most for an Iowa freshman since Mike Meyer booted 14 field goals in 2010. Iowa certainly is in good hands moving forward at the place kicker, despite the position being a bit of a concern before the season.

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