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Washington Football K Named to Preseason Lou Groza Award Watch List
- Story byHuskies Wire
- Washington Football K Named to Preseason Lou Groza Award Watch List
Washington Huskies kicker Tyler Robles found himself among 35 specialists named to the 2026 preseason Lou Groza Award watch list.
Awarded annually to the best kicker in college football since 1992, no Husky kicker has won the honor, but several have been recognized on the preseason list, including most recently Grady Gross in 2024. Robles, a transfer addition from Texas State ahead of the 2026 season, proved to be one of the best kickers in the country last season.
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Following two seasons at USC in 2023-24, the Encinitas, California native converted 21-of-23 field goal attempts and 53-of-54 extra points, leading the Bobcats in scoring with 116 points—a TSU record for points in a season.
The Lou Groza Award, presented by the Orange Bowl Committee, is given annually to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The recipient is determined by a voting panel that includes NCAA Division I football head coaches, sportswriters, sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers, and previous award winners.
Robles didn't get much of an opportunity to show his potential in his first two seasons in college with the Trojans as the 5-foot-7 kicker made just two appearances, both of which came as a true freshman in 2023 making one extra point attempt against Nevada with three kickoffs in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville—all of which came in the second half in the Trojans' 42-28 victory over the Cardinal in San Diego.
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"It's very different," the new UW kicker said in his first media appearance during spring camp when asked about the differences between San Marcos, Texas, and Seattle. "I had a great time there. I love Seattle, though. I was very familiar with the area before I came here, which made it easy to make the transition. I left Seattle during the break. Did a lot of hiking, stuff outside, went to the UFC event at Climate Pledge."
The numbers Robles put up in his lone season in the Sun Belt Conference would put the fourth-year kicker in the top five for a single season in made field goals and one of the top three most efficient kickers in UW history.
With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Robles could cement himself as one of the best kickers in school history.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Football K Named to Preseason Lou Groza Award Watch List
