University of Maryland senior place-kicker Chad Ryland has been named to the 2022 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Watch List as announced by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
The Groza Award is given annually to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker as determined by a voting panel of Division I head coaches, sports writers and sportscasters from across the county, conference representatives, professional kickers and previous winners.
Ryland is among just 30 kickers chosen for the list and one of just four from the Big Ten.
Prior to Ryland, the last Maryland kicker to make the Groza Preseason Watch List was Brad Craddock in 2015. Craddock won the Groza Award as the nation's top kicker in 2014 and was a semifinalist in 2013.
Ryland, who is a graduate transfer from Eastern Michigan, arrived in College Park prior to spring practice. At EMU, Ryland was one of the most prolific kickers in Eagles history. He owns program records for career points scored (309), PATs made (141) and PATs attempted (145), while also standing second in program history with 56 made field goals.
A two-time Second Team All-Mid American Conference selection, Ryland set the Eastern Michigan single-season record for points (104) in 2021. He also connected on 19 field goals last season, the second most in a single season in EMU history. Currently the holder of the nation's longest consecutive field goals made streak with 17, Ryland made 19-of-22 attempts in 2021 with a long of 55 and was a perfect 47-for-47 on PAT's.
A Lebanon, Pennsylvania native, Ryland had made 56-of-74 field goals attempted for his career and he's eclipsed the 80-percent made field goal mark in each of the last two seasons (84.6% in 2020; 86.4% in 2021).
The Palm Beach Sports Commission will announce its 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award on Thursday, Nov. 3, with the finalists set to be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The award winner will be announced Thursday, Dec. 8 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.