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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Caden Davis Named Lou Groza Award Semifinalist
11/19/2024 | Football
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Ole Miss football senior kicker Caden Davis has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, as announced by Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Tuesday.
Davis is among 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which has been presented to the top kicker in college football since 1992. The Award is named for 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.
On the season, Davis is 20-of-23 on field goals, including 8-of-10 from 40 yards or further, making him one of four kickers nationally to hit 20 so far this year. Davis has two makes from 50 yards or further, including a career-long 57-yard connection in overtime at LSU that broke the Tiger Stadium record and ranks tied for the third-longest in Ole Miss history.
Davis stands alongside Cloyce Hinton as the lone kickers in Ole Miss history with multiple 55-yard field goals, with Davis also owning a crucial 56-yarder at Tulane in 2023.
Davis went 5-for-5 on field goals in the rain in Ole Miss' historic 28-10 upset victory over No. 2 Georgia, the most by a Rebel kicker since 2015, which earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Earlier this season, Davis broke the Ole Miss single-game record with 10 PATs against Furman, and with 107 points already scored this season, he stands just 17 shy of Jonathan Nichols' 2003 single-season scoring record of 124. In just his second season as a Rebel, Davis ranks seventh among kickers and eighth among all Rebels in career scoring with 206 points. He also ranks tied for sixth in PATs made (92) and tied for seventh in field goals made (38).
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Tues., Nov. 26 and honored at the 33rd annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet on Mon., Dec. 9 in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thurs., Dec. 12.
2024 Lou Groza Award Semifinalists
Kenneth Almendares – Louisiana
Randy Bond – Texas A&M
Andres Borregales – Miami (FL)
Lucas Carneiro – Western Kentucky
Caden Chittenden – UNLV
Caden Davis – Ole Miss
Jonah Delange – UAB
Dom Dzioban – Miami (OH)
Will Ferrin – BYU
Ryan Fitzgerald – Florida State
Gino Garcia – Texas Tech
Jonathan Kim – Michigan State
Tyler Loop – Arizona
Laith Marjan – South Alabama
Alex Raynor – Kentucky
Collin Rogers – SMU
Ben Sauls – Pitt
Brock Taylor – Vanderbilt
Peyton Woodring – Georgia
Dominic Zvada – Michigan
Davis is among 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which has been presented to the top kicker in college football since 1992. The Award is named for 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.
On the season, Davis is 20-of-23 on field goals, including 8-of-10 from 40 yards or further, making him one of four kickers nationally to hit 20 so far this year. Davis has two makes from 50 yards or further, including a career-long 57-yard connection in overtime at LSU that broke the Tiger Stadium record and ranks tied for the third-longest in Ole Miss history.
Davis stands alongside Cloyce Hinton as the lone kickers in Ole Miss history with multiple 55-yard field goals, with Davis also owning a crucial 56-yarder at Tulane in 2023.
Davis went 5-for-5 on field goals in the rain in Ole Miss' historic 28-10 upset victory over No. 2 Georgia, the most by a Rebel kicker since 2015, which earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Earlier this season, Davis broke the Ole Miss single-game record with 10 PATs against Furman, and with 107 points already scored this season, he stands just 17 shy of Jonathan Nichols' 2003 single-season scoring record of 124. In just his second season as a Rebel, Davis ranks seventh among kickers and eighth among all Rebels in career scoring with 206 points. He also ranks tied for sixth in PATs made (92) and tied for seventh in field goals made (38).
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Tues., Nov. 26 and honored at the 33rd annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet on Mon., Dec. 9 in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thurs., Dec. 12.
2024 Lou Groza Award Semifinalists
Kenneth Almendares – Louisiana
Randy Bond – Texas A&M
Andres Borregales – Miami (FL)
Lucas Carneiro – Western Kentucky
Caden Chittenden – UNLV
Caden Davis – Ole Miss
Jonah Delange – UAB
Dom Dzioban – Miami (OH)
Will Ferrin – BYU
Ryan Fitzgerald – Florida State
Gino Garcia – Texas Tech
Jonathan Kim – Michigan State
Tyler Loop – Arizona
Laith Marjan – South Alabama
Alex Raynor – Kentucky
Collin Rogers – SMU
Ben Sauls – Pitt
Brock Taylor – Vanderbilt
Peyton Woodring – Georgia
Dominic Zvada – Michigan
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