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Florida kicker Trey Smack returns to the Lou Groza Award watch list, two years after falling short as a semifinalist. The senior from Severna Park, MD, returns for his final season kicking for the orange and blue with aspirations of winning the most prestigious special teams award in college football.
With Smack up for the Lou Groza, he becomes the seventh different Gator this week to be named to an award watch list.
https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1951312390261297626
The Orange Bowl Committee presents the Lou Groza Award to the best place-kicker in all of college football. The name of the award comes from legendary Ohio State Buckeye kicker Lou Groza.
Florida has only brought home this prize once, won by Jedd Davis back in 1993.
Special Teams Weapon
Smack joined the Gators in 2022, but did not take over as a full-time starter until Week 3 in 2023. From there, Smack took the SEC by storm, becoming one of the most effective kickers in the nation. In 2023, Smack finished with an 81% field goal percentage (17-for-21), was six-for-10 in kicks 40 yards or more with a long of 54, finishing as a Lou Groza semifinalist.
Smack was even better in 2024, making 85.7% of his kicks (18-for-21) and connecting on three of four kicks from 50 yards or more. This included a career-long 55-yard FG against LSU. He was also a perfect 44-for-44 on extra points and responsible for 98 total points.
A friendly wager between Smack and Davis has driven the senior to win it this season.
“Actually, Judd made a deal with me. If I win the Lou Groza Award, we’re both getting Lou Groza tattooed on our foreheads,” Smack said on Tuesday.
Smack not only aspires to get his face inked up but also become the next Gator to reach the NFL. He could become the sixth Gator kicker drafted and seventh to play at the next level.
“I mean, with Florida, it’s such a good resume of Eddy Pineiro, Evan McPherson, now Jeremy (Crawshaw), and Caleb Sturgis back in the day. They’ve got such a good track record here,” he said. “And I just want to live up to that expectation, because there’s been so many good Gator greats going to NFL,” Smack said via Gators SI Cam Parker.
The Orange Bowl Committee will announce its winner on Dec. 12, 2025.
