Sean O'Haire Named to 2026 Lou Groza Award Watch List
8/7/2026 12:00:00 PM | Football
COLLEGE PARK, MD – Maryland redshirt sophomore kicker Sean O'Haire has been named to the 2026 Lou Groza Award Watch List, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Friday. The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the nation's top kicker in college football.
O'Haire, a 6-foot-2, 188-pound standout from Kildare, Ireland, earned First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2025 after leading the conference and ranking ninth nationally with 1.75 field goals made per game.
He connected on 50 of his 53 total kicks, going 21-for-24 on field goals and a perfect 29-for-29 on extra points. His 21 made field goals are tied for the third-most in a single season in Maryland history.
O'Haire led all FBS freshmen in both field goals made and field goal percentage. He also set Maryland freshman records for field goals made and points scored by a kicker (92). His 87.5 percent field goal conversion rate ranks as the second-best single-season mark in program history.
The 35th Annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, will honor its three finalists during a celebration in Palm Beach County before the winner is announced at the annual banquet on Dec. 7 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The award is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. A four-time NFL champion and the league's 1954 Player of the Year, Groza was also an All-Pro offensive lineman and helped establish the specialized place-kicker as a permanent position on NFL rosters.
