Lou Groza Award announces 20 semifinalists after Week 9

The Lou Groza Award, the award for the best kicker in the nation, announced its 20 semifinalists after Week 9 of the 2021 season.

The Orange Bowl presents the Lou Groza Award annually. The award began in 1992. National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, inspired the award. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and earned NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Groza also played lineman but his success convinced teams to have a designated kicker on the roster.

More than 100 coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers will vote to select three finalists.

Only five of this year’s semifinalists have been semifinalists in previous seasons. Three of those have now earned the honor three years in a row: Oklahoma’s Gabe Brkic, Wake Forest’s Nick Sciba, and Nevada’s Brandon Talton. Missouri sophomore Harrison Mevis and LSU junior Cade York were also both semifinalists last season.

The 2020 award winner was Miami senior Jose Borregales. Borregales was a perfect 37 of 37 on extra points and 20 of 22 on field goals. He also made a school-record-tying 57-yarder.

Here are this year’s Lou Groza semifinalists:

Lou Groza Award Semifinalists

Andrew Mevis, Iowa State

Brandon Talton, Nevada

Cade York, LSU

Caleb Shudak, Iowa

Casey Legg, West Virginia

Cayden Camper, Colorado State

Chandler Staton, Appalachian State

Daniel Gutierrez, UNLV

Gabe Brkic, Oklahoma

Harrison Mevis, Missouri

Jake Moody, Michigan

John Richardson, NIU

Jonah Dalmas, Boise State

Jonathan Garibay, Texas Tech

Matthew Shipley, Hawaii

Nate Needham, Bowling Green

Nate Sciba, Wake Forest

Noah Ruggles, Ohio State

Seth Small, Texas A&M

Spencer Shrader, USF

For the first time ever, a pair of brothers have made the Lou Groza list in the same season. Two-time semifinalist Harrison Mevis is joined by his older brother Andrew, a senior at Iowa State. The two have proven to have some of the strongest legs in the country. Harrison atop the nation with nine field goals of 40 yards or longer, while Andrew is right behind with eight.

The Orange Bowl will announce the three finalists on Nov. 23 before the award is presented on Dec. 8.