Senior kicker for Wisconsin. 2025: 7 field goals, 40 points.
6′1″ · 208 lb · Avon, OH
The numbers
field goals · 2025
of 11 attempts · long of 47 · 40 points
Swing playSwung Wisconsin from 28% to 54% to win.Wisconsin at Indiana · 31-7
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 kicker for Wisconsin. 2025: 7 field goals, 40 points.
Nathanial Vakos
Handles his kicks without drama. Nathanial Vakos has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. He has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week two seasons running, most recently in 2023.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM
All-MAC 2nd team (2022)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jim Leonhard → Luke Fickell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Season context · Team result + system
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Luke Fickell
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
| Season | Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4/6 (67%) | 3/5 (60%) | 0/1 | |
| 2024 | 8/12 (67%) | 0/3 | 3/3 | |
| 2023 | 11/11 (100%) | 3/4 (75%) | 1/5 (20%) | |
| Career | 23/29 (79%) | 6/12 (50%) | 4/9 (44%) |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 11 · 2025
W 13–10
vs Washington
7 PTS · 42 LONG · 67 PCT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With S. West — 24 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 100.0 · A. Bertrams — 37 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 43 LONG
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 10 games
| Wk | Opp | FGM/FGA | LONG | XP | PTS | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-0vs Miami (OH) | 1/1 | 42 | 2/2 | 5 | |
| Wk 2 | W 42-10vs Middle Tennessee | 0/0 | 0 | 6/6 | 6 | |
| Wk 3 | L 14-38@ Alabama | 0/0 | 0 | 2/2 | 2 | |
| Wk 4 | L 10-27vs Maryland | 1/3 | 33 | 1/1 | 4 | |
| Wk 6 | L 10-24@ Michigan | 1/1 | 39 | 1/1 | 4 | |
| Wk 9 | L 7-21@ Oregon | 0/0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 | |
| Wk 11 | W 13-10vs Washington | 2/3 | 42 | 1/1 | 7 | |
| Wk 12 | L 7-31@ Indiana | 0/1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 | |
| Wk 13 | W 27-10vs Illinois | 2/2 | 47 | 3/3 | 9 | |
| Wk 14 | L 7-17@ Minnesota | 0/0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 | |
| Total | 7/11 | 47 | — | 40 |
Play style
Handles his kicks without drama.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Wisconsin
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
PK · Wisconsin
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Wisconsin · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #30 · 2026 recruiting class #78
Player DNA
Handles his kicks without drama.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tim Horn’s 2024 season.
Matches Tim on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Tim Horn's senior season at Rice (2023).
Matches Tim on
Differs from Tim on
Player DNA