The best college football kickers for the 2024 season ft. Ryan Fitzgerald, Grant Nicholson and more
The 2024 college football season is barely underway and already Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald dropped jaws with a 59-yard field goal. Fitzgerald's heroics didn't pull the Seminoles through their Week 0 battle with Georgia Tech, but that was hardly his fault. Here's a rundown of the top 7 kickers in college football.
Top 7 college football kickers in 2024
#7. Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State
That 59-yard bomb didn't exactly come from nowhere. Fitzgerald connected on 19 of 21 tries in 2023 for FSU, earning first-team All-ACC honors. Always blessed with a strong leg, Fitzgerald became increasingly more accurate as his college career went on. That-- plus his 59-yard blast-- should get him notice by NFL scounts.
#6. Alex McPherson, Auburn
One of the underrated qualities for a kicker is accuracy. You can't be more accurate than McPherson, who made every kick he attempted in 2023. 13 for 13 on field goals, including a 53-yard make? That's McPherson. 40 for 40 on extra points? Did that too. Guy's a Day 1 star.
#5. Jonah Dalmas, Boise State
Dalmas might not have quite as much leg strength as Fitzgerald, but he nailed a 56-yard blast last season. Dalmas connected on 24 of his 27 field goal tries and missed just one extra point. Dalmas's consistency and leg strength will make him stand out even more at Boise, because his skills are worthy of the nation's top levels of football.
#4. Trey Smack, Florida
Smack is an outstanding kicker. He's both accurate (17 for 21 last season) and capable of hitting the long kick (made a 54-yarder in 2023). He's excellent on kickoffs and consistent on PATs. Smack is a star in the making for the Gators. Given UF's brutal 2024 schedule, Smack could be a key in helping UF reach the postseason.
#3. Dragan Kesich, Minnesota
Kesich is a double threat. Not only is a he a great field goal kicker, he's one of the best kickoff specialists in the nation. A season ago, 53 of his 62 kickoffs went for touchbacks. Add to that a 23-for-27 kicking year, which included a 54-yard kick. Kesich will be a significant contributor for the Gophers this fall.
#2. Bert Auburn, Texas
Auburn is a big-game kicker who has a history of collegiate excellence. Auburn hits an impressive percentage of tries-- 50 for 61 over the 2022 and 2023 season. He didn't miss a PAT during either year and has a 54-yard make to his credit. He's as steady as any collegiate kicker in the nation.
#1.Grant Nicholson, Alabama
What kind of world do we live in where kickers cause college football feuds? Nicholson starred at Miami(Ohio) connecting on 27of 28 field goal tries last season, including a 52-yard make.
But when he left Miami for college superpower Alabama, coach Chuck Martin drew headlines for suggesting that Bama "stole" Nicholson by illegally recruiting him.
If the batle has been crazy now, imagine once Nicholson starts driving home 50+ yard field goals for the Tide.
Which kicker is the best in the nation? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!