Tate Sandell
| No. 29 – Oklahoma Sooners | |
|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker |
| Class | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 14, 2003 |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 182 lb (83 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Port Neches–Groves (Port Neches, Texas) |
| College | UTSA (2022–2024) Oklahoma (2025–present) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Tate Sandell (born October 14, 2003)[1] is an American college football placekicker for the Oklahoma Sooners. He previously played for the UTSA Roadrunners.
Early life
[edit]Sandell is from Port Neches, Texas.[2] He attended Port Neches–Groves High School where he played football as a placekicker and wide receiver.[3] He also played soccer in high school.[1] In football, he set a school record with 67 extra points made.[1] Ranked one of the top-15 kicker recruits nationally, he signed to play college football for the UTSA Roadrunners.[4]
College career
[edit]Sandell redshirted as a freshman at UTSA in 2022, recording 20 kickoffs and recovering an onside kick.[1] He remained a kickoff specialist in 2023, setting the team record for touchbacks with 42 while also making one of two field goal attempts.[1] He became the starting kicker as a redshirt-sophomore in 2024.[5] That season, he converted 19 of 23 field goals and 35 of 36 extra points, setting the school record for longest field goal after being successful on a 54-yard attempt.[6] He was named honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) for his performance.[1]
Sandell transferred to the Oklahoma Sooners in 2025.[6] He set the school record for consecutive field goals made and also went viral for the short pants he wore when kicking, receiving national attention.[7] He led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in field goal percentage and made seven of seven attempts over 50 yards in the regular season, the best mark nationally.[8] He was named the 2025 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and Lou Groza Award winner for his performance.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Tate Sandell". UTSA Roadrunners.
- ^ Hoover, John (December 10, 2025). "Oklahoma Kicker Tate Sandell Lands Massive Honor from SEC". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Moore, Chris (September 1, 2021). "Special teams weapon Tate Sandell gives Port Neches-Groves a leg up on opponents". Port Arthur News.
- ^ Faye, Matt (November 4, 2025). "Is Port Neches-Groves grad Tate Sandell the best kicker in college football?". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Luca, Greg (October 23, 2024). "Tate Sandell finds footing as UTSA's new No. 1 kicker". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ a b Faye, Matt (May 2, 2025). "Former Port Neches-Groves kicker transfers to Oklahoma Sooners". Beaumont Enterprise.
- ^ Jones, Alyse (November 15, 2025). "Who is the power-legged OU kicker who made national headlines for his short pants?". KOCO-TV.
- ^ Williams, John (December 10, 2025). "Oklahoma's Tate Sandell named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year". USA Today.
- ^ Cordova, Davis (December 10, 2025). "OU football's Tate Sandell named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year". Norman Transcript.
- ^ Sulley, Colton (2025-12-12). "OU's Tate Sandell wins Lou Groza Award as college football's top kicker". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2025-12-19.
