Miami (Ohio) kicker Graham Nicholson enters NCAA transfer portal

The top kicker in college football is on the market. Miami (Ohio) kicker Graham Nicholson, who won the 2023 Lou Groza Award, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned.

Nicholson was the starting kicker for the RedHawks in each of his three seasons with the program.

In 2023, he played in all 14 games, connecting on 27 of his 28 field goal attempts. In addition to winning the Lou Groza Award, Graham Nicholson was also named a first-team All-American by several outlets, including the Associated Press.

At one point last season, Nicholson connected on 25 straight field goals, setting a record for consecutive attempts made during one season. Now he is off to a new home and is sure to have plenty of interest.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

More on Graham Nicholson winning the Lou Groza Award

Other finalists for the Lou Groza Award were Alabama’s Will Reichard and UNLV’s Jose Pizano. However, Nicholson won out.

Nicholson was the epitome of consistency for the RedHawks this past year, and he also had 113 punts as he showcased his special teams versatility. His 26 made field goals ranked second in the nation behind Texas’ Bert Auburn. In fact, his only miss came in the MAC Championship.

How long will he think about that?

“Until the day I die,” Nicholson said during the awards show. “For sure.”

Nicholson had some tough competition for the Lou Groza Award. He was up against Reichard, who became the NCAA’s all-time points leader during the SEC Championship. He only missed 16 field goals out of 96 attempts during his college career. This year, he was a cool 20-for-23, and he made all of his extra point attempts over the last two years.

Pizano — in his first year at UNLV — also had a big year, making 25 of his 27 field goal attempts to finish fourth in the nation in made field goals.

It was extra special for Nicholson, who didn’t start playing football until he was in high school. Instead, he was a basketball player. When asked by ESPN’s Jen Lada about what his younger self would say, he summed up how much it means to win the award.

“I really think he would be proud,” Graham Nicholson said. “This is everything I’ve been working for, so this feels amazing.”