Key Ole Miss Football Special Teams Weapon Named to Lou Groza Watch List

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Ole Miss football junior transfer Lucas Carneiro has been named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Friday morning.

Carneiro is among 30 preseason honorees nationally and one of 11 from the SEC alone for the Lou Groza Award, which is handed out annually to the top place-kicker in college football.

The award is named for Pro Football 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 he was 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.

Carneiro, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist and first-team All-American last season, brings multiple years of eligibility and experience to the Ole Miss squad.

Serving as Western Kentucky's primary placekicker for the last two years, Carneiro connected on field goals at an 87.1 percent clip for the Hilltoppers.

Carneiro had one of the best seasons for a kicker in WKU history in 2024, earning CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year, finishing the season 18-for-19 on field goal attempts and 41-for-41 on PATs. He was 6-for-6 from 50-plus yards, with two 54-yard makes.

Carneiro's 94.7 percent conversion rate last season ranks second among all returning FBS kickers this fall who attempted at least 15 field goals in 2024.

Carneiro also ranks among nine returning FBS kickers this year who made at least nine field goals from 40 yards out at a perfect 9-of-9 clip.

Carneiro missed his first attempt on the road at Alabama last fall but went on to make each of his next 18 attempts – a Conference USA record.

Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 18, and all FBS kickers remain eligible to be selected.

The Committee releases its Stars of the Week feature throughout the season on LouGrozaAward.com. From this list, a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers selects the top three finalists for the award, announced on Nov. 25.

That same group then selects the national winner, who will be announced on Dec. 12 during The Home Depot College Football Awards show on ESPN.

The 34th 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 on Dec. 8 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Lou Groza Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935.

Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2025 preseason watch list calendar:

Mon., Aug. 4 – Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 5 – Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 6 – Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 7 – Davey O'Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 8 – Mackey Award / Rimington Trophy
Mon., Aug. 11 – Bednarik Award