Dunn, Gill Named to Award Watch Lists

NC State’s Christopher Dunn Is once again on the Lou Groza Award’s preseason watch list, placing him among the nation’s best college placekickers

Christopher Dunn was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist in 2019. This year he’s looking to win the award given annually to the best placekicker in college football.

The NC State junior is off to a good start With his inclusion to the Groza Award’s preseason watch list.

Dunn’s special teams partner and holder, punter Trenton Gill, was also recognized with inclusion to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award.

This is the third straight year Dunn has been identified as a candidate for the award, which was last won by a Wolfpack kicker in 1996 by Mark Primanti.

Last season, Dunn converted 21 of his 24 field goal attempts for an .875 percentage that ranked second in the ACC and ninth nationally. 

His 21 field goals were the second-most in a season in school history, behind only the 23 he made a year ago as a freshman. 

The Lou Groza Award second-team All-ACC selection in 2018 and ‘19 made his final 11 field goal tries this season. His last miss was on Sept. 28.

A former walkon, Gill led the ACC and was No. 4 in the nation with a school-record average of 47.6 yards per kick in his first season as State's punter. 

Twenty-four of his 56 punts this season went for more than 50 yards with a long of 75 on the way to earning third-team All-ACC recognition.

Dunn and Gill are only the second and third State players to earn recognition on a preseason watch list this preseason.

Cary Angeline was names to the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end last week.