Steve Sarkisian gives latest on finding Cameron Dicker's replacement

Believe it or not, the placekicker position in college football is one of the most important – and a key area that could either make or break a team. While some schools have been successful in the kicking department and others have struggled with inconsistencies, there’s one program that’s had plenty of success over the years – Texas.

The Longhorns were spoiled over the past few years with Cameron Dicker – a standout placekicker who rarely missed anything he kicked and helped win a number of games for his team. A hometown kid, Dicker had a strong four-year run at Texas by making 60 of 79 field goals and 206 of 210 extra points for the Longhorns.

Now that Dicker has graduated from the program, Texas must find a replacement placekicker – and that’s not going to be a simple task for head coach Steve Sarkisian. Following the Longhorns’ spring practice on Tuesday, Sarkisian was asked how he’s handling the search for a new kicker.

“Obviously, it’s new,” Sarkisian said. “It’s new for all of us not having Dicker. Isaac [Pearson] has really kind of progressively gotten better as we’ve gone through spring. I think Bert Auburn and [Gabriel] Lozano have done a nice job. We just started field goals last week, we’re just getting into the kickoff phase. I think Zach Edwards has done a nice job snapping.

“But, with that – with the kicking game – as much as it is about effort, it’s about the fundamentals, techniques and being where you’re supposed to be. That’s why we invest a lot of time in it. I thought it was an advantage for us a year ago in a lot of games – and I think it will continue to be.”

Even with Dicker kicking for them, Texas is coming off a disappointing 5-7 season in 2021 – which included a 3-6 mark in Big 12 play. It’s no secret that Sarkisian and the Longhorns are hoping for a much better product in 2022.