The University of Mississippi Athletics
Caden Davis Named to Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List
8/2/2024 | Football
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Ole Miss football senior kicker Caden Davis has been named to the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award preseason watch list, as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Friday morning.
Davis is among 30 preseason honorees nationally and eight from the SEC for the Lou Groza Award, which is handed out annually to the top place-kicker in college football. The award is named for NFL 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.
Davis became a key member of Ole Miss' first 11-win season in program history in 2023 in his first season as a full-time place-kicker, scoring 99 total points for the Rebels after going 18-of-23 on field goals and a perfect 45-of-45 on PATs. The Coppell, Texas native was named a second-team All-SEC honoree by the College Football Network in his first season at Ole Miss after transferring from Texas A&M.
On field goals, Davis was a perfect 7-for-7 from 20-29 yards, 4-for-5 from 30-39 yards, 5-for-7 from 40-49 yards and 2-for-4 from 50 yards or further. Davis is one of only five kickers in Ole Miss history with multiple 50-yard field goals in the same season alongside Cloyce Hinton (1970), Tim Montz (1996), Jonathan Nichols (2003) and Andrew Ritter (2013). Davis' 50-yard successes came from 52 yards out in Ole Miss' Peach Bowl victory over Penn State and a crucial 56-yarder late on the road at No. 22 Tulane – the fourth-longest in Ole Miss history and the longest by a Rebel since 1988.
Davis' perfect PAT season ranks him among only 20 such seasons in Ole Miss history, the first since 2015. He also handled the vast majority of kickoff duties, notching 72 touchbacks on 87 attempts for 5,594 yards and a 64.3 average per kick.
Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 19, and all FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists. The Committee releases its Stars of the Week feature throughout the season on www.lougrozaaward.com. From this list, a panel of FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Nov. 26. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Dec. 12 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
The 33rd 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. 9 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football's most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2024 preseason watch list calendar:
Mon., July 29: Maxwell Award
Tue., July 30: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., July 31: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Thu., Aug. 1: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Mon., Aug. 5: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 6: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 8: Davey O'Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 9: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 12: Bednarik Award
Tue., Aug. 13: Butkus Award
Davis is among 30 preseason honorees nationally and eight from the SEC for the Lou Groza Award, which is handed out annually to the top place-kicker in college football. The award is named for NFL 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.
Davis became a key member of Ole Miss' first 11-win season in program history in 2023 in his first season as a full-time place-kicker, scoring 99 total points for the Rebels after going 18-of-23 on field goals and a perfect 45-of-45 on PATs. The Coppell, Texas native was named a second-team All-SEC honoree by the College Football Network in his first season at Ole Miss after transferring from Texas A&M.
On field goals, Davis was a perfect 7-for-7 from 20-29 yards, 4-for-5 from 30-39 yards, 5-for-7 from 40-49 yards and 2-for-4 from 50 yards or further. Davis is one of only five kickers in Ole Miss history with multiple 50-yard field goals in the same season alongside Cloyce Hinton (1970), Tim Montz (1996), Jonathan Nichols (2003) and Andrew Ritter (2013). Davis' 50-yard successes came from 52 yards out in Ole Miss' Peach Bowl victory over Penn State and a crucial 56-yarder late on the road at No. 22 Tulane – the fourth-longest in Ole Miss history and the longest by a Rebel since 1988.
Davis' perfect PAT season ranks him among only 20 such seasons in Ole Miss history, the first since 2015. He also handled the vast majority of kickoff duties, notching 72 touchbacks on 87 attempts for 5,594 yards and a 64.3 average per kick.
Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 19, and all FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected as semifinalists. The Committee releases its Stars of the Week feature throughout the season on www.lougrozaaward.com. From this list, a panel of FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Nov. 26. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Dec. 12 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
The 33rd 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. 9 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football's most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935.
Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2024 preseason watch list calendar:
Mon., July 29: Maxwell Award
Tue., July 30: Outland Trophy/Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., July 31: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Thu., Aug. 1: Paul Hornung Award/Wuerffel Trophy
Fri., Aug. 2: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award
Mon., Aug. 5: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 6: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 7: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 8: Davey O'Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 9: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 12: Bednarik Award
Tue., Aug. 13: Butkus Award
Players Mentioned
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