WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Tennessee senior Brent Cimaglia was one of 30 players, including five from the Southeastern Conference, named to the watch list for the 2020 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Wednesday.
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.
Cimaglia was a semifinalist for the Groza Award in 2019 after posting one of the top seasons ever by a Tennessee kicker. The Nashville native made 23 of his 27 field goal attempts last season, including two kicks of 50-plus yards en route to earning second-team All-SEC honors. His 85.2 percentage ranked second in the SEC and was best among kickers who attempted more than 20 field goals.
Cimaglia was 9-of-11 on kicks of 40 or more yards and connected on all 35 of his extra point attempts to account for 104 total points (sixth-most in UT history). His 23 field goals ranked second in the SEC and tied for seventh nationally. The 23 makes also moved him into third on UT’s single-season list for field goals made. Cimaglia had four games in 2019 where he connected on three or more field goals, going 3-for-3 against Georgia State (Aug. 31), UAB (Nov. 2) and Indiana (Jan. 2) while positing a career-best 4-for-4 performance against BYU (Sept. 7).
For his career, Cimaglia has made 41-of-53 career field goal attempts for a 77.4 percentage, which ranks second in school history. His 41 field goals made ranks eighth in Tennessee history and his 192 career points are closing in on the top 10 in school history. Cimaglia is a perfect 60-for-69 on extra-point attempts and has drilled three of his four field goal attempts of 50-plus yards, including a career-long make of 53 yards against UAB on Nov. 2, 2019.
The Groza Award will announce its 20 semifinalists on Thursday, Nov. 5. From that list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers will select the top three finalists for the award, which will be 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 Show on ESPN.
The 29th 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 gala awards banquet at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 7.
To see all of the players named to the Groza Award Watch List, click HERE.
2020 Tennessee Football Preseason Honors
Brent Cimaglia, Sr., PK
Lou Groza Award Watch List
All-SEC First Team (Athlon, College Football News, Phil Steele)
Eric Gray, So., RB
Doak Walker Award Watch List
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Velus Jones Jr., Sr., WR/RS
All-SEC Third Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Brandon Kennedy, Sr., OL
All-SEC Third Team (Phil Steele)
Cade Mays, Jr., OL
Outland Trophy Watchlist
Second-Team All-American (Sporting News)
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Wanya Morris, So., OL
All-SEC First Team (College Football News)
All-SEC Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
Josh Palmer, Sr., WR
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)
Trey Smith, Sr., OL
Outland Trophy Watch List
First-Team All-American (Athlon, Phil Steele, Sporting News)
Second-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
All-SEC First Team (Athlon, College Football News, Phil Steele)
Bryce Thompson, Jr., DB
All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Henry To’o To’o, So., LB
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Butkus Award Watch List
Bednarik Award Watch List
All-SEC First Team (Phil Steele)
All-SEC Second Team (Athlon)
-UT Athletics
