It seems like Oklahoma found a gem at kicker

The Oklahoma Sooners might have more of an exclamation point than question mark at kicker in 2025.

New OU kicker Tate Sandell on Friday was on the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, given to the best kicker in college football. And he appeared on the list the same day he impressed media during the Sooners' second practice of fall camp.

Tate Sandell on Lou Groza Award watch list while impressing at practice

Sandell transferred to OU from UTSA this spring ahead of his redshirt-junior season. He took over UTSA's kickoff duties as a redshirt freshman in 2023. He never kicked a ball out of bounds in 77 attempts and set a program record with 42 touchbacks in a season.

Last season, Sandell took over all kicking duties for UTSA and proceeded to break more school records. He broke his own record with 62 touchbacks on 85 kickoffs. He also made 19 of 23 field-goal attempts and 35 of 36 extra points while setting another program record with a 54-yard field goal. He was named an All-American Athletic Conference honorable mention after the season.

Sandell was expected to be OU's starting kicker over fellow transfers Austin Welch from Kennesaw State and Grayson Miller came from Division-II Central Oklahoma. OU also just added a fifth kicker to its roster ahead of fall camp in incoming freshman Preston Tarpley.

As expected, Rivals' Parker Thune reported that Sandell took first-team reps during OU's second practice of fall camp on Friday. Media at the Sooners' practice was impressed with Sandell after he made a 50-yard field goal, according to SoonerScoop's George Stoia.

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