South Carolina Football: Gamecock kicker makes Groza Award watch list

With special teams coordinator Pete Lembo being the best in college football, it comes as no real surprise that South Carolina football has hit the specialist trifecta this offseason with three players named to award watch lists for special teams.

Earlier this week, it was announced that long snapper Hunter Rogers was placed on the watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award given out annually to the top long snapper in college football.

Then, the unsurprising news broke that punter Kai Kroeger was named to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award that goes out to the top punter in the land each season.

Almost as unsurprising as Kroeger’s inclusion on the Ray Guy watch list was that of placekicker Mitch Jeter being placed on the Lou Groza Award watch list for the 2023 preseason.

Jeter is a perfect 11-11 in his career as a field goal kicker. It would be unrealistic to expect him to remain a perfect 100% for his entire career, but if his early accuracy numbers are any indication, he is well on his way to becoming the most accurate kicker in South Carolina football history.

The Groza Award, like all college football awards, is subjective in nature. Voters do consult statistics (field goal makes, field goal percentage, extra-point percentage, touchbacks, clutch makes, long field goals, etc.), but a true “method to the madness” has never been clear.

Several Gamecock kickers have wound up as semifinalists and finalists for the Lou Groza Award in previous seasons (including Ryan Succop, Spencer Lanning, Elliott Fry, and Parker White), but no one wearing garnet and black has ever brought home the kicking trophy.

All three of Rogers (Mannelly Award), Kroeger (Ray Guy Award), and Jeter (Lou Groza Award) have a real shot to bring home the trophy. All three players were also selected to an All-SEC squad in 2022 and a preseason All-SEC team in 2023.