Star Sooners kicker announces he's returning for 2026 season

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The Oklahoma Sooners got excellent news on Sunday, as the player who won the award for the best kicker in all of college football announced that he’s coming back for one more year.

Star OU kicker Tate Sandell took to social media to announce his intentions to return to college for the 2026 season. The first Lou Groza Award winner in program history (given annually to the best kicker in college football) was a weapon for Oklahoma in 2025, missing just one kick during the entire regular season. He showed off a penchant for being able to hit long-range field goals, which made him a valuable extension of Oklahoma’s offense, which struggled at times during the 2025 season.

Sandell was the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, and was the kicker on the All-SEC First Team. His finest performance came in OU’s win on the road in Knoxville over the Tennessee Volunteers, where he nailed total field goals in a 33-27 win at Neyland Stadium for the Sooners. Three of those field goals came from 50-plus yards, and Sandell nailed them all.

Sandell’s return in 2026 is a big one for the Sooners. With him back in the fold, Oklahoma will once again have one of the best kickers in the nation along for the ride next season. His ability to hit from distance should once again prove critical for the OU offense, and he’ll be the headliner for a Sooners special teams unit that looks to return many key contributors in 2026.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners star kicker announces he’s coming back in 2026

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