Upton Bellenfant Named To Lou Groza Award Watch List
Texas Tech junior kicker Upton Bellenfant named to the 2025 Lou Groza Award preseason Watch List by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Friday. This award is given annually to the nation’s best place kicker, Bellefant is one of 30 FBS kickers to earn this recognition.
Bellenfant transferred into Tech this spring from Buffalo where he went 18-21 on field goals in 2024 including a career long 52-yarder in the team’s Bahama Bowl win over Liberty. Watch the video below however and you can see that rocket was good from 60+ yards.
He credits his soccer background for this power saying “I always liked kicking the soccer ball as hard as I could and in kicking that’s kind of all you have to do is kick it as hard as you can.”
“I wanted to come here because I want to go to the NFL,” said Bellenfant. “I’ve seen the success the last two kickers have had here.”
Prior to Buffalo, Bellefant spent a year with Alabama where he saw limited action. He has two years of eligibility remaining. He joins a group of Red Raiders who have been named to preseason watch lists thus far, including Behren Morton (X2), Jacob Rodriguez and Lee Hunter (X2).
What Is The Lou Groza Award?
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker. Visit www.lougrozaaward.com for additional information and updates throughout the season, on social media, follow @LouGrozaAward on Twitter/X.
How Are The Winners Picked?
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Tuesday, Nov. 18. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Tuesday, Nov. 25. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Friday, Dec. 12 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
The 34th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a gala awards banquet on Dec. 8 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
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