WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the second straight season, UTSA sophomore Jared Sackett has been named one of 20 semifinalists for the 2018 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Thursday.

Sackett is one of five semifinalists who return from last season, joining 2017 winner Matt Gay (Utah), John Baron II (San Diego State), Rodrigo Blankenship (Georgia) and Dominik Eberle (Utah State). Other semifinalists include Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern), Massimo Biscardi (Coastal Carolina), Jose Borregales (FIU), Matt Coghlin (Michigan State), Clayton Hatfield (Texas Tech), Cole Hedlund (North Texas), Logan Justus (Indiana), Connor Limpert (Arkansas), Chase McLaughlin (Illinois), Evan McPherson (Florida), Cooper Rothe (Wyoming), Andre Szmyt (Syracuse), Ryan Tice (Central Michigan), Cole Tracy (LSU) and Matthew Wright (UCF).

Sackett is 13-for-16 on field goals and he has made all 14 extra-point attempts this season. Of the 20 semifinalists, he has the most field goals (nine) from 40-plus yards. The Fort Worth native ranks second in Conference USA and 13th in the FBS in field goals per game (1.63) and he is fourth in the league and 29th nationally in field-goal percentage (.813).

A nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, Sackett earned C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Sept. 24 after making all three of his attempts — all from 40-or-more yards — in the 25-21 win against Texas State. He also collected Lou Groza Award Star of the Week accolades one week later after hitting three field goals, including a career-long 51-yarder as time expired in the first half of the 30-21 win over UTEP.

The UTSA single-season record holder with 19 field goals last fall, Sackett collected USA TODAY Freshman All-America, C-USA All-Freshman and honorable mention all-conference certificates in 2017. The Timber Creek High School product ranks second on UTSA's all-time list for field goals with 32 and for points by a kicker with 133.

Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of more than 100 FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Nov. 20 and honored at the 27th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on Dec. 3 in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 6.

The Award is named for NFL 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 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.

Since the first Lou Groza Award was handed out in 1992, 26 finalists, including 14 winners, have gone on to appear in the NFL, earning 10 trips to the Pro Bowl and taking home seven Super Bowls. That list includes 2018 NFL kickers Dan Bailey, Randy Bullock, Daniel Carlson, Mason Crosby, Jake Elliott, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Graham Gano, Zane Gonzalez, Dustin Hopkins, Sebastian Janikowski, Mike Nugent, Cairo Santos and Caleb Sturgis.

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