Pitt HC Announces Starting Kicker

The Pitt Panthers have big shoes to fill with the loss of their long-time kicker, and a surprising player has emerged as his successor for the 2025 season

The Pittsburgh Panthers student section cheers in the first quarter of the NCAA football game between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Cincinnati Bearcats at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. The Bearcats led 20-7 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt Panthers have found their replacement for long-time starting kicker Ben Sauls.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi announced Thursday before practice that true freshman Trey Butkowski has won the kicking competition. In a related note, scholarship kicker James London is no longer with the program.

"Trey Butkowski is our starting kicker. He's had the best numbers coming through camp. He's a young guy we brought in, a true freshman, we're excited about this year, so he will be the starting kicker coming into the opener.

"... James London is no longer with our football program, I'll leave it at that."

Butkowski - a 6-foot, 170-pounder from Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla. - was in a competition with London and Sam Carpenter all offseason.

London was the presumed favorite after arriving from Murray State on scholarship, and Butkowski was a bit of an afterthought throughout.

But Narduzzi said that Butkowski outperformed his peers throughout the fall and earned the chance to start the season.

Butkowski enrolled at Pitt this summer, following a standout high school career at Lake Nona.

He was one of the top-ranked high school kickers in the class of 2025, ranked fifth in the country by 247Sports' composite.

Kohl's Kicking ranked him as the ninth kicker in the class.

It's not unprecedented for a walk-on kicker to earn the starting job under Narduzzi, as former kicker Sam Scarton earned the job over Sauls before the 2021 season.

Scarton started the 2021 season, and Sauls took the job before the 2022 season - going on to have the best career by any kicker under Narduzzi.

Butkowski now has a chance to not only hold his starting job but earn a scholarship with his play.

Narduzzi said that he feels comfortable with Butkowski hitting from 50 yards, and his high school long was 58 yards.

Obviously, Sauls became known for his ability to connect on long field goals - and his penchant for clutch kicks.

Butkowski has big shoes to fill, but that is the nature of college football. Pitt preaches a "next man up" mentality.

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