Four kickers from the American Athletic Conference are listed among the 30 players on the preseason watch list for the 2020 Lou Groza Award, which goes annually to the nation's top placekicker.

Three of the four kickers from The American have been semifinalists for the Groza Award in previous seasons.

The American's contingent includes Riley Patterson of Memphis, who was the all-conference first team selection last season and a Groza Award semifinalist in 2019. Patterson became the first FBS kicker since 2016 to kick at least five 50-yard field goals while connecting on better than 90 percent of his attempts. Patterson is the FBS active leader in kicker scoring entering the 2020 season (351 points).

East Carolina senior Jake Verity, a two-time all-conference selection and a 2019 Groza semifinalist was also named. Groza leads all active FBS kickers with 60 career field goals after he hit a school-record 24 field goals last season.

Jared Sackett of USF was placed on the watch list after finishing as a semifinalist in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Sackett is a junior transfer from UTSA, where he had 14 career field goals of at least 40 yards.

Dalton Witherspoon of Houston was a watch list choice after a 2019 season in which he hit at least one field goal in every game, including a school-record streak of 15 consecutive made field goals.

 
2020 Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List
American Athletic Conference Players

Riley Patterson	Memphis
Jared Sackett	USF
Jake Verity	East Carolina
Dalton Witherspoon	Houston