Alex Raynor Named Burlsworth Award Nominee

Kentucky kicker Alex Raynor, who continues rewriting records in his outstanding career, has been named a nominee for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy given to FBS’s most outstanding player who began his collegiate career as a walk-on.

Raynor is in his second season as a Wildcat after beginning his career at Georgia Southern. He currently has made a UK-record 16 consecutive field goals dating to 2023 and owns the career field goal percentage mark at Kentucky at .958 (23-of-24). Earlier this season he set a school record with a 55-yard field goal against then-No. 1 Georgia. Amongst active FBS players he ranks second in points (378), field goals made (68-of-79) and PATs (174).

The Kennesaw, Georgia native is a William V. Campbell Trophy nominee for the second consecutive season (he is a semifinalist in 2024), was the Southeastern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week in week five and a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week in week three. At UK, he is 12-of-13 on field goals of 40+ yards, including 4-of-5 on attempts of 50 yards or longer.

In the award’s fifteenth year, the Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman. Burlsworth’s life is also the subject of a major motion picture, “GREATER”, which was released in 2016. The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in American who began his career as a Walk-On and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Each nominee must have begun his first season of participation with FBS (D1) football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.