Best high school football kickers in the nation entering the 2023 season

Expect these 20 kickers to be special teams weapons this fall

Summer is waning and fall is approaching, so it's time to start getting excited for the 2023 high school football season.

Several of the nation's top teams start their season in less than a month, and SBLive Sports is highlighting some of the best players in the nation heading into the fall season.

Over the next few weeks we'll be taking a position-by-position look at some of the best of the best in high school football. We started with the defensive backs, moved on to quarterbacks and athletes, and now it's the kickers' turn.

Aeron Burrell, sr., Parkway (Louisiana)

The nation’s No. 1 senior kicker according to 247Sports, Burrell is committed to LSU. He was a Class 5A first-team all-state selection as a junior who had 47 touchbacks and converted 12 of his 14 field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards. He made a game-winning 50-yarder to defeat Haughton, 17-14.

Caden Chittenden, sr., Faith Lutheran (Nevada)

Chittenden, an Eagle Scout, was one of the best kickers in the country as a junior. He was 17 of 22 on field goals with a long of 56 yards while going 29 of 30 on PATs. The one miss was a blocked kick.

Martin Connington, sr., Mountain View (Idaho)

Connington regularly showed off his booming leg during his junior season, going 16 of 21 on field goals with three over 50 yards, including a 56-yarder. He also made all 46 of his PATs while handling punt duties for Mountain View.

Grady Dangerfield, jr., James Island Charter (South Carolina)

Dangerfield scored 77 points as a junior and made 9 of his 11 field goal attempts. His teammate, Coleman Franzone, is also a standout kicker and punter.

Bobby Engstler, sr., Chiles (Florida)

Engstler, one of the top punting prospects in the country, holds a number of Division I offers, including Florida and Florida State. He had 42 touchbacks a season ago while going 7 for 9 on field goals.

Nico Gramatica, sr., Cambridge Christian School (Florida)

The son of former NFL All-Pro kicker Martin Gramatica, Nico Gramatica converted all four of his field goal attempts as a junior. He recently committed to South Florida.

Nolan Hauser, sr., William Amos Hough (North Carolina)

Hauser has made 54 field goals during his career at William Amos Hough, a North Carolina state record. The Clemson commit went 20 of 25 on field goals as a junior with a long of 49 yards. He had 75 touchbacks and also averaged 37.5 yards per punt.

Gage Hurych photo by Dan Brood

Gage Hurych, sr., West Linn (Oregon)

Hurych kicked a game-winning field goal in the playoffs as a sophomore and had a key field goal in last year’s Class 6A state championship game victory over Sheldon. Hurych, who also punts and plays cornerback, is committed to Oregon.

Jacob Kauwe, sr., Billings West (Montana)

A first-team all-state kicker as a junior, Kauwe made a Billings West record 13 field goals on 16 attempts with a long of 42 yards. It was his first season focusing full-time on football. The former soccer star is committed to Kentucky.

Brody Laga, sr., Mountain Ridge (Utah)

Laga drilled 15 field goals as a junior with a long of 49 yards. He was a Class 6A first-team all-state selection.

Towns McGough, sr., Auburn (Alabama)

McGough booted a late 36-yard field goal to defeat fellow state power Hoover, 17-14, during his junior season. He was a Class 7A all-state selection.

Drew Miller, sr., Mediapolis (Iowa)

Nicknamed “Killer Miller” due to his deadly leg, Miller averaged 48 yards per punt as a junior and had touchbacks on 51 of his 55 kickoffs. The Georgia commit is also a standout soccer goalie and basketball player.

Evan Noel, jr., Saint Stanislaus (Mississippi)

During the first two years of his high school career, Noel went 14 of 22 on field goals with 64 touchbacks and 21 punts downed inside the 20. He recently picked up an offer from Ole Miss.

Cub Patton, jr., Lubbock Cooper (Texas)

A Class 5A all-state selection at kicker and punter as a sophomore, Patton has one of the biggest legs in the Class of 2025. He drilled a 50-yard game-winner against Coronado as time expired last season. Patton also plays striker in soccer and is a high jumper.

Spencer Porath, sr., Brownsburg (Indiana)

A three-year varsity player, Porath recently gave a verbal commitment to Purdue. He has converted 19 of his 28 career field goal attempts with a long of 46 yards.

Cooper Ranvier, sr., Frederick Douglass (Kentucky)

Ranvier, who netted 15 goals for the Frederick Douglass soccer team as a junior, is also a standout kicker. He helped lead the Broncos to a perfect 15-0 season and the Class 5A state championship.

Michael Salgado-Medina, sr., Mission Viejo (California)

Salgado-Medina was 69 of 70 on extra points and 12 of 14 on field goals during his junior season for Mission Viejo. The Arizona commit is also a strong punter.

Ryon Sayeri, sr., Chaminade (California)

Sayeri made 12 of his 14 field goal attempts as a junior with a long of 49 yards while converting all 53 PATs. He also notched 68 touchbacks and had an average of 50.8 yards on his 32 punts.

Luke Scoma, sr., Bellevue (Washington)

Scoma hit a 43-yard game-winner against Lincoln last fall in the Class 3A quarterfinals. The all-state kicker is one of the top uncommitted special teams prospects for the class of 2024. He had 35 touchbacks during his junior season.

Jake Weinberg, sr., American Heritage BD (Florida)

Weinberg has one of the strongest legs in the country with a career long of 57 yards. As a junior, the Florida State commit had 28 touchbacks on 30 kickoffs.