Tag: nathanial vakos

Wisconsin K Nathanial Vakos sets program record with 50-yard FG vs. Penn State

Wisconsin K Nathanial Vakos sets program record with 50-yard FG vs. Penn State

Wisconsin kicker Nathanial Vakos set a program record for the most 50-plus-yard field goals with his 50-yard make to open the Badgers’ Week 9 contest against No. 3 Penn State.

The long-distance make is Vakos’ fourth from beyond 50 yards since taking over as Wisconsin’s kicker in 2023. According to the NBC broadcast, that sets a program record.

The former Ohio transfer is 22/30 (73%) on field goal attempts in his year-and-a-half as the Badgers’ starting kicker. Specifically, those totals include 1/1 from inside 20 yards, 6/6 from 20-29 yards, 8/10 from 30-39, 3/6 from 40-49 and 4/7 from 50-plus.

Vakos’ long-distance make is great news for the Badgers’ chances after his relative struggles to begin the 2024 season. He was nearly flawless in 2023, going 14/15 from inside 50 yards. Those numbers have regressed a bit to begin 2024, though are sure to be helped by his long make against Penn State.

His current standing on Wisconsin’s other all-time kicker leaderboards include No. 6 in field goals made (22), No. 7 in points (125) and No. 5 in field goal percentage (73%). Rafael Gaglianone (2014-18) leads the program in nearly everything, and was tied with Vakos at three 50-plus-yard-field-goal-makes entering Saturday.

Wisconsin currently trails top-ranked Penn State 7-3 early in the second quarter. Vakos and the Badgers are looking for a defining victory to entering longshot contention for the Big Ten title and expanded College Football Playoff.

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One-on-one interview with Wisconsin Badgers kicker Nathanial Vakos

One-on-one interview with Wisconsin Badgers kicker Nathanial Vakos

The Wisconsin Badgers football team will begin their regular season at Camp Randall Stadium against Western Michigan on Aug. 30. That date is moving closer and closer, as the team wrapped up its fall camp at UW-Platteville on Sunday.

Junior Nathanial Vakos is entering his second season as the team’s primary placekicker after he went 15-for-19 on field-goal attempts last season, going 14-15 from inside 50 yards. Additionally, he was a perfect 34-for-34 on extra-point tries.

Vakos took a few minutes to chat with us following the Badgers’ eighth practice at UW-Platteville, detailing how he’s geared up to make deep kicks in 2024.

“Something I’ve felt always confident in is my ability to make deep kicks. I’ve always been confident, it’s just been working those more. I feel like we’ve started to repitize more deep field goals, which is what I’ve been wanting to work on,” Vakos explained.

Vakos transferred to Wisconsin from Ohio prior to the 2023 campaign and the Badgers went 7-6 in his first year with the team. The kicker feels like this season will be even better.

“Coming into this year, I think we have a lot more talent. We picked up a lot of good transfers,” Vakos continued, “From last year they really tightened down on us, wanting more, always trying to push us more.”

The upcoming season is the team’s second under head coach Luke Fickell and the fans will be treated to a schedule full of marquee matchups with programs like Alabama, USC, Penn State and Oregon.

Wisconsin kicker listed on 2024 Lou Groza Award watch list

Wisconsin kicker listed on 2024 Lou Groza Award watch list

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.

 

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.

Wisconsin kicker hosts skills camp in Madison

Wisconsin kicker hosts skills camp in Madison

With the Wisconsin Badgers football team set to begin their training camp at UW-Platteville on July 29, the team’s kicker Nathanial Vakos held a kicking camp in Madison this past week.

Vakos welcomed aspiring kickers to join him at Edgewood High School in Madison, teaching the young athletes some of the lessons that he wished he had learned when he was their age.

The junior is entering his second season with the Badgers after transferring to Wisconsin following his freshman season at Ohio University. In 2023, Vakos made 15 of 19 field-goal attempts, including a perfect 8-for-8 to start the season. He is the first Wisconsin kicker to reach that mark since Matt Davenport in 1998.

Vakos will look to extend his range in year two with the program after he went only 1-for-4 on field goals longer than 50 yards in 2023. He may have more opportunities in generalย as the Badgers will look to take a leap offensively in their second season under offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

Wisconsin specialist named semi-finalist for Lou Groza Award

Wisconsin specialist named semi-finalist for Lou Groza Award

Despite Wisconsin’s disappointing 5-4 record and lack of positive buzz, Badgers kicker Nathanial Vakos is getting some national attention.

Vakos was named a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award earlier today, the award given to college football’s top place-kicker.

The former Ohio kicker is 22/22 on extra points this season and 12/14 on field goals. He is 1/1 inside of 20 yards, 2/2 from 20-29 yards, 5-5 from 30-39 yards, 3-3 from 40-49 yards and 1/3 from 50+.

Yes, you read that correctly. Vakos is 11/11 from inside of 50 yards this season. That is consistent production you rarely see at the college level.

Previous winners of the Lou Groza Award include Michigan’s Jake Moody in 2021, Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship in 2019, Utah’s Matt Gay in 2018 and UCLA’s Ka’imi Fairbairn in 2015.

LOOK: Badgers new kicker is only one in Big Ten to do this

Strong start to Badgers’ career for new kicker

The Badgers football team has opened the season 3-1 and an underappreciated part of that has been the success of kicker Nathanial Vakos. Vakos is in his first season with Wisconsin after transferring to Madison from Ohio University this offseason.

Vakos is the only Big Ten kicker who’s been perfect while taking at least five kicks this season, going 7/7 through the Badgers’ four contests. Although some parts of the team, pretty much every aspect, have been inconsistent, he’s provided a stable asset on special teams.

Wisconsin is off this week, but they’ll be back in action next Saturday versus Rutgers at home at 11AM.

Badger Countdown: Number 29 makes 11 field goals in 2022

The 2023 CFB season is right around the corner and the Badgers are now 29 days away from their season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 2.

The 2023 college football season is right around the corner and the Badgers are now 29 days away from their season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 2. With Luke Fickell coming to town, there have been many changes in personnel and kicker could be another one.

That being said, Nate Van Zelst, number 29 and second-year kicker went 11-for-14 (78.6%) on field-goal attempts and a perfect 35-for-35 on extra-point ties in 2022. Not bad for Van Zelst who replaced Collin Larsh as the starter last season.

This offseason though, Nathanial Vakos transferred to Madison from the Ohio University after he went 22-for-27 (81.5%) on field goals last year. Vakos and Van Zelst are expected to compete for the starting nod ahead of 2023, with Vakos currently having the upper hand.

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Wisconsin kicker named to Lou Groza Award watch list

More Watch List news:

Wisconsin kicker Nathanial Vakos was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list yesterday. The award is given out annually to the best place-kicker in college football.

Vakos transferred to Wisconsin from Ohio this offseason, part of the sizable transfer class brought in by Head Coach Luke Fickell. The Ohio native made 22 of 27 field goals for the Bobcats last year, including 9/9 from inside 30 yards, 8/9 from 30-40 yards, 3/5 from 40-50 and 2/4 from 50+.

His inclusion is a welcome boost to the team this season, as the Badgers made only 70% of their field goals last season, including an infamous pair of misses to cost the team a win against Washington State.

Vakos will look to become the first Badger to win the award. Other notable Big Ten winners include Michigan’s Jake Moody in 2021, Maryland’s Brad Craddock in 2014, Ohio State’s Mike Nugent in 2004, Iowa’s Nate Kaeding in 2002.