Nathanial Vakos struggled last year as Wisconsin’s top kicker.
All offseason long, the talk surrounding the Wisconsin Badgers has been about their new-look team, as they brought in nearly two dozen transfers ahead of a crucial 2025 season after going through a major overhaul over the past few months.
Offensively, Wisconsin could have seven new starters this season as they transition to a new scheme under offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
Defensively, the Badgers could also have seven new starters, almost exclusively within their front seven, as they also undergo a scheme change under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel.
But, what about special teams? The Badgers didn’t make many moves, mainly nabbing Eli Stein in the transfer portal to take over at long snapper for the departing Cayson Pfeiffer.
Apart from that, Wisconsin has the same core at punter (Atticus Bertrams) and kicker (Nathanial Vakos, Gavin Lahm) heading into the 2025 season.
While Bertrams saw a step up in play (although with some inconsistencies), Vakos took a step back in 2024, making just 12 of his 19 field goals after hitting 15 of 19 in 2023 for the Badgers.
Known for his big leg, Vakos really struggled between 30-49 yards, hitting only 6 of 13 field goals between that distance. So, naturally, there are questions about the kicker position heading into 2025, as the Badgers need far more consistency there.
Will there be a kicker competition this offseason?
“Yeah, [Gavin Lahm’s given Nathanial Vakos some competition this offseason],” Fickell acknowledged when asked about the position on Tuesday. “Lahm’s done a great job, and to be honest with you, Vakos has done a great job, and it’s going to be one of those ones that we’re going to have to figure it out. I don’t know that either one just wants to be a kickoff specialist, and I respect that.
“And, we got to do a really good job to be able to keep both those guys, because [they] both have a really unique skill set. [Lahm], by nature, does have a bigger leg on some of those really long ones. But Vakos, just the other day, was pretty consistent with his 55-yarders as well. So another kind of spot that gives you some confidence in what it is you’re doing.”
While the bigger kicks are important, there needs to be consistency at the position as well, so this battle could drag out for some time as the Badgers evaluate their best options at kicker.
But, regardless of who it ends up being, the Badgers need more from the position than they got in 2024.