Miami kicker Jack Olsen has been named to the 2026 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award preseason watch list.
The Groza Award goes annually to the nation's top place-kicker and this year's list carries 35 names in recognition of the award's 35th anniversary.
Jack Olsen has been named to the Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List, recognizing the nation’s top kicker 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SxvEpM2sDA
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) August 7, 2026
Jack Olsen named to Lou Groza Award preseason watch list
Olsen arrives to Coral Gables from Northwestern, where he converted 19 of 21 field goal attempts last season for a 90.5% success rate. He also made 24 of 25 extra points and scored 81 points in 12 games. His longest field goal of the season traveled 41 yards.
17 returning FBS kickers attempted at least 15 field goals last season and converted better than 85% of them. Only Boston College's Luca Lombardo at 94.1% and Washington's Tyler Robles at 91.3% were more accurate than Olsen among that group.
Olsen began at Michigan State in 2020 before transferring to Northwestern, where he became the primary kicker in 2023 and held the job through 2025. He appeared in 30 games for the Wildcats and finished 40 of 51 on field goals and 69 of 70 on extra points.
Olsen went 3 for 3 with the game-winner in Northwestern's 22-21 upset of Penn State last season and 3 for 3 again in a 38-35 win over Minnesota. Wildcats fans knew him as "The Milkman," a nickname earned for his celebrations after made kicks.
Olsen did not attempt a field goal of 50 yards or longer in 2025. He was perfect from 30 to 49 yards, going 14 for 14, but finished 5 of 7 from inside 30.
Miami brought in Florida State transfer Jake Weinberg alongside Olsen in the winter portal cycle, and Weinberg profiles as the kickoff specialist.
Olsen replaces Carter Davis, who exhausted his eligibility after making 17 of 23 attempts in 2025 with a long of 53 yards. Davis is best remembered for the 47-yard game-winner that beat Notre Dame 27-24 in last season's opener.
Jose Borregales won the Groza Award in 2020. His brother, Andres Borregales, started four seasons from 2021 through 2024, made 74 career field goals and became the first kicker selected in the 2025 NFL Draft when New England took him.
Six ACC kickers made this year's watch list. Joining Olsen are Lombardo, Clemson's Nolan Hauser, Florida State's Gabe Panikowski, Georgia Tech's Aidan Birr and Virginia's Will Bettridge.
Oklahoma senior Tate Sandell headlines the field as the defending winner. If he repeats, he would join former Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who won in 1998 and 1999, as the only two-time Groza recipients.
All FBS kickers remain eligible for the award regardless of watch list status. The selection committee will name 20 semifinalists on Nov. 17 and finalists on Nov. 24, with the winner announced on Dec. 10 at the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
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