LSU's Alleman up for Groza Award

LSU senior placekicker Drew Alleman is one of 30 players around the country who has been named to the watch list for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to college football's top placekicker. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission released the preseason list on Wednesday.

Alleman was a 2011 semifinalist for the Groza Award and was named a Lou Groza Star of the Week twice last season after helping LSU secure wins at Mississippi State and at Alabama.

The Lafayette native enters the 2012 season as the most accurate kicker in school history with a field goal percentage of .889, making 16 of 18 field goals a year ago. Alleman also enters his senior campaign with a streak of 10 straight made field goal attempts.

Alleman is coming off an outstanding 2011 season in which he earned honorable mention All-America recognition by Sports Illustrated and picked up Second-Team All-SEC honors. He led the SEC and ranked second nationally in field goal percentage and was fourth in the conference in scoring with 110 points, the fourth-largest total in LSU single season history.

A list of 20 semifinalists will be released on Nov. 5, and three finalists will be announced on Nov. 19. A panel of more than 300 experts will select the 2012 Lou Groza Award winner, who will be announced on Dec. 6 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.