The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Delange Named to the 2026 Lou Groza Award Watch List
8/7/2026 11:00:00β―AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM β UAB senior placekicker Jonah Delange has been named to the 2026 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Preseason Watch List, recognizing the nation's top kickers entering the upcoming season.
Delange is one of 35 kickers nationally selected to the preseason watch list after earning semifinalist honors for the Lou Groza Award in 2024. He enters his senior season as UAB's career leader in field goal percentage and ranks seventh in program history with 31 career field goals. He has also converted every extra-point attempt during his collegiate career and is on pace to become the first kicker in school history to complete his career without a missed PAT.
During the 2025 season, Delange connected on 10-of-14 field goal attempts, including 6-of-8 from 40-49 yards, while converting all 29 extra-point attempts.
Presented annually by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, the Lou Groza Award recognizes the top place-kicker in NCAA Division I football. Although the preseason watch list highlights 35 of the nation's top returning kickers, all FBS kickers remain eligible for consideration throughout the season, with 20 semifinalists set to be announced on Nov. 17 before the field is narrowed to three finalists.
The Lou Groza Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, is named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns and helped redefine the importance of the kicking position in professional football.
Delange became just the second Blazer to be named a Groza Award semifinalist in 2024, following Nick Vogel's semifinalist selection in 2014. He also earned American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2024 after leading the conference in field goal percentage and establishing himself as one of the nation's most accurate kickers.
About the Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award is presented annually to the nation's top place-kicker in NCAA Division I football. The award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association and culminates with the presentation of the Groza Award during the College Football Awards in December.
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