GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Lou Groza Award has named senior kicker Trey Smack to its preseason watch list for the 2025 season

The Lou Groza Award is presented each year to the best placekicker in college football. Named after NFL great, Lou Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns after serving in World War II. Groza was a nine-time all-pro player and won four AAFC championships and four NFL championships before retiring in 1967. The qualifications for the award include being named as one of the 30 players the preseason watch list, which is determined by player’s statistics from the previous season and their preseason expectations. 

Smack has been named to the preseason watch list for the second time in his career, after making it as a semifinalist in 2023. Although he was not named to the list in 2024, Smack improved in almost every aspect to give himself a strong position for the award heading into the 2025 season. In 2024, Smack played as the Gators’ primary kicker in all 13 games and made 18 of 21 field goal attempts. The longest attempt being 55-yards. Smack remained perfect in PATs for the second straight season accumulating 44 extra points in 2024 and a total of 73 extra points over two seasons.

The  30 athlete watch list is narrowed down to a group of 20 semifinalists on Nov. 18, 2025 by a selection committee. From the semifinalists a group of three finalists will be announced on Nov. 25, 2025, with the winner being selected on Dec. 12, 2025. Athletes are chosen to advance to the next round by a panel of more than 100 members which consists of FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers.

In the past, the Gators have had multiple players named to the watch list. Only one Gator has ever won the award, Judd Davis for his 1993 season. Other Gator greats, such as Caleb Sturgis made it to the finalists round in 2011 and 2012, while Evan McPherson made it to the semifinalists in 2018 and 2020.

2025 Watch List