2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: Top 5 Kickers – Cairo Santos the Best

2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: Top 5 Kickers : While kickers tend to spend a majority of their in the sidelines and frequently have their athleticism called into question, there are also countless times throughout a football season when a kicker is the most important player on the field. Games can be won and lost on the foot of a kicker, and only quarterbacks can go from hero to zero or vice versa on one play quicker than a kicker. At the end of the day, a kicker is never going to be the most valuable player on a football, but in a close game, they can be a coach’s best friend. Meanwhile, failing to at least find a quality kicker usually comes back to haunt a team in an important situation. Whether you love them or hate them, kickers are a part of football. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top kickers in the country and frontrunners for the Lou Groza Award heading into the 2013 college football season.

1.      Cairo Santos, Tulane Green Wave

Considering Santos is coming off an incredible season that netted him the Lou Groza Award, it’s impossible to put anyone else on the top of the list. In 2012, he nailed all 21 of his field goal attempts, including 12 from beyond 40 yards with a long of 57. His combination of power and accuracy made him the best kicker in the country last year, and he has a great chance to become the first kicker to win the Lou Groza Award in back-to-back seasons since Sebastian Janikowski in1998 and 1999.

2.      Jeff Budzien, Northwestern Wildcats

After taking over the starting job midway through the 2011 season, Budzien emerged as one of the most accurate kickers in the country in 2012. He hit 19 of his 20 attempts with his only missing coming from beyond 50 yards. On the flip side, Budzien only had the one attempt from beyond 50 yards so he doesn’t have the strongest leg in the country. That being said, it is still a luxury to have a kicker that is basically automatic from inside of 50 yards.

3.      Chris Boswell, Rice Owls

Boswell hit 23 of his 29 attempts last year, but only one of his misses came from inside of 40 yards. Not to mention the fact that he more than makes up for the slight lack of accuracy with his powerful leg. Boswell went 6-for-8 from beyond, and his six makes from that distance were the most in the country. With Boswell around, the Owls’ offense just has to get to an opponent’s 40-yard line to have a chance at putting points on the board.

4.      Ross Martin, Duke Blue Devils

He started as a freshman last year and was nearly flawless. Martin nailed 20 of his 23 attempts, and he went 7-for-8 from beyond the 40-yard line, hitting both his attempts from beyond 50 yards. It was a great start for Martin, and he is laying the groundwork for an excellent collegiate career.

5.      Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson Tigers

While he didn’t have a ton of attempts as the kicker for the high-powered Tigers’ offense, Catanzaro did make the most of the chances he did get. He finished last season 18-for-19 in field goal attempts, connecting on five of his six tries from beyond the 40-yard line. His game-winner against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last year speaks volumes for his ability to kick in the clutch.

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