Newsstand: Notre Dame kicker Blake Grupe makes Lou Groza Award watch list
Blake Grupe is the latest Notre Dame player to appear on a watch list. The graduate transfer kicker was one of 30 preseason candidates for the Lou Groza Award, as revealed Wednesday.
The Groza Award is given annually to the nation’s best kicker and was created in 1992. It was named for Groza, who was a placekicker at Ohio State in 1942, enrolled in the Army after one college season and returned to play for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-67, save for a year off in 1960. Notre Dame has not had a kicker win the award.
Grupe arrived in January as a graduate transfer from Arkansas State, where he holds school records for career field goals (64) and points (354). He went 20 of 25 on field goals in 2021 and was 6 of 9 from beyond 40 yards. He also made a career-long 50-yard kick.
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The Sedalia, Mo. native was the Red Wolves’ primary kicker from 2018-21, going 64 of 86 (74.4 percent) on field goals and 162 of 168 (96.4 percent) on extra points. He began his college career in 2017 as a walk-on.
Grupe and sophomore Joshua Bryan were competing for the kicker job in spring practice. Both put forth bumpy springs and will continue the competition in fall camp.
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