Kentucky kicker Alex Raynor has been honored as the Southeastern Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, becoming the first Wildcat to earn the distinction since the award’s inception in 2004. The league announced the accolade on Wednesday, recognizing Raynor’s record-breaking achievements during his standout senior season.
Raynor, a native of Kennesaw, Georgia, showcased exceptional accuracy, connecting on his first 15 field goal attempts of the season and finishing 15-of-16 for an impressive 93.8 percent success rate. This mark broke his own school record for single-season field goal percentage, surpassing the 90.9 percent he achieved last year. Over two seasons as a Wildcat, Raynor went 25-of-27, setting both the SEC and Kentucky career records for field goal percentage at 92.6 percent. He led all SEC kickers in field goal percentage this season.
One of Raynor’s most memorable performances came against then-No. 1 Georgia, where he set a school record with a 55-yard field goal and added a 51-yarder, making him only the second player in Kentucky history to hit two 50-yarders in a single game—the first since 1977. His clutch play continued with critical kicks of 48 and 27 yards in Kentucky’s 20-17 upset of then-No. 6 Ole Miss, earning him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Raynor’s consistency and ability to deliver in high-pressure situations earned him recognition throughout the season, including being named a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week in Week 3 and ultimately becoming a Lou Groza Award finalist for 2024.
In addition to this latest honor, Raynor was named First Team Coaches All-SEC earlier this week, cementing his status as one of the top kickers in the nation. His accomplishments this season and throughout his Kentucky career have firmly etched his name in the program’s record books.
