Arizona’s preseason kicks off in earnest on Friday when coach Jedd Fisch and players Jacob Cowing and Christian Young participate in Pac-12 Football Media Day in Los Angeles. Until then, it’s still technically the offseason.
Or, in other words, “preseason watch list” season.
The latest CFB awards to release their early watch lists are the ones for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy awards, and Arizona has a guy on each one.
UA kicker Tyler Loop is up for the Groza, given annually to the nation’s top placekicker, while punter Kyle Ostendorp is an early candidate for the Guy given to the best punter in the country.
Loop is heading into his first season as Arizona’s full-time kicker, having handled extra points and the “short” field goal attempts in 2021. He made all 12 field goals and was 12 for 12 on PATs, this after being the UA’s primary punter during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Ostendorp, who is a first-team preseason all-conference selection, led the Pac-12 with a 49.2 punting average last season.