University of Tennessee Athletics
Cooper Ranvier Named To Lou Groza Award Watch List
August 07, 2026 | Football
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Tennessee junior kicker Cooper Ranvier is one of 35 players who have been named to the 2026 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award watch list, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Friday.
Ranvier is one of 11 kickers from the SEC who made the initial list. The Lexington, Kentucky, native transferred to Tennessee from Louisville in January. Ranvier was a third-team All-ACC selection last year, connecting on 21-of-25 field goal attempts (84 percent), while going 39-of-41 on PATs. He was 6-of-7 on field goal attempts from 40 to 49 yards. Including the 2026 season, he owns three seasons of remaining eligibility.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Tuesday, Nov. 17. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers select 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.
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" 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.
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Ranvier is one of 11 kickers from the SEC who made the initial list. The Lexington, Kentucky, native transferred to Tennessee from Louisville in January. Ranvier was a third-team All-ACC selection last year, connecting on 21-of-25 field goal attempts (84 percent), while going 39-of-41 on PATs. He was 6-of-7 on field goal attempts from 40 to 49 yards. Including the 2026 season, he owns three seasons of remaining eligibility.
Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Tuesday, Nov. 17. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers select 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.
The 35th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, recognizes the three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County, culminating with a banquet gala on Dec. 7 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Award is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" 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.
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