Tate Sandell’s SEC honor puts a spotlight on how vital he was to Oklahoma’s success

The honors keep coming for Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell, but there's still no way he gets all the recognition he deserves after this season's performance.

Sandell on Wednesday was announced as SEC Special Teams Player of the Year after getting the weekly version of that same honor three times during the regular season. The award also came just a day after Sandell was named All-SEC First-Team as a redshirt junior. Sandell is also one of three finalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the best kicker in college football.

Tate Sandell named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year

Few would argue that Sandell was one of the most important players in the Sooners finishing the regular season at 10-2 and getting to host a first-round College Football Playoff game as the No. 8 seed. Sandell was responsible for 101 of OU's 317 points (32%) during the regular season.

Sandell was also maybe the Sooners' best Transfer Portal addition of the offseason after transferring from UTSA to OU during the spring window. He didn't have the best first impression after missing his first field-goal attempt in his debut, but since, Sandell has made an SEC-record 23 in a row to be 23-for-24 on field-goal attempts this season.

Of Sandell's makes, seven were from over 50 yards and four were from 55 yards or more. His four makes of 55+ are the most any OU kicker ever had in a career, and Sandell accomplished it in less than a season. Sandell also has the single-season OU record for field goals of 40-plus yards with 15. Against Tennessee, Sandell became the first FBS kicker since 2021 to make three 50-plus-yard field goals in a game.

Sandell also has the record for shortest pants in college football history (unofficially).

Sandell is the first OU kicker to win such award since Austin Seibert was Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2018.