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Florida kicker Patrick Durkin on Friday was named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top kicker, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced. This marks Durkin's first time earning a spot on the Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, following a 2025 season in which he was named the American Athletic Conference's Special Team Player of the Year, converting 25-of-28 (89.3 percent) field goal attempts and 41-of-42 extra point attempts. Durkin's 89.3% field goal accuracy is the second-best among returning FBS kickers who made at least 20 field goals last season, and his 25 field goals are tied for the second-most. Durkin transferred to Florida from Tulane this offseason, following his Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall to Gainesville, alongside punter Alec Clark and special teams coordinator Johnathan Galante. "I'm really pleased with how he and several others that transferred have gotten acclimated with everything," Galante said of Durkin on Tuesday. "We take for granted that these players are transitioning. For him, he was at Tulane for two years. He's just getting comfortable and had a great season last year. He transitions now to a whole new town, a whole new city, a whole new environment, higher level. And he did well. He finished better than he started spring ball and in the position he's in right now, I'm very excited where he's at. The Lou Groza Award is awarded each year to the best placekicker in college football. The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker. Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Tuesday, November 17th. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, sports information directors, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Tuesday, Nov. 24. That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 10 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. Find the full 2026 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list below. Ryan Barker – Penn State Will Bettridge – Virginia Aidan Birr – Georgia Tech Dominic Bourgeois – Middle Tennessee Trey Butkowski – Michigan Lucas Carneiro – Ole Miss Jonah Delange – UAB Patrick Durkin – Florida Kyle Ferrie – Mississippi State Nico Gramatica – USF Stone Harrington – Texas Tech Nolan Hauser – Clemson Connor Hawkins – Ohio State Jackson Kleather – Northwestern Luca Lombardo – Boston College Alex McPherson – Auburn Sean O'Haire – Maryland David Olano – Texas A&M Jack Olsen – Miami (FL) Eli Ozick – Iowa Gabe Panikowski – Florida State Spencer Porath – Notre Dame Lorcan Quinn – Alabama Nico Radicic – Indiana Cooper Ranvier – Tennessee Tyler Robles – Washington Luis Rodriguez – Kansas State Collin Rogers – Florida Atlantic Tate Sandell – Oklahoma Ryon Sayeri – USC Gianni Spetic – Texas Brock Taylor – Vanderbilt Clune Van Andel – Arkansas State Manaki Watanabe – Fresno State Peyton Woodring – Georgia