Who would actually be Wisconsin's best kicker if Nathanial Vakos returns?

It's no secret by now that Nathanial Vakos is looking to return for his fifth season. He is not just loosely attached to the new court ruling that affects players like Braeden Carrington and AJ Storr. He has been actively in a legal battle of his own (alongside long snapper Nick Levy) to get another season of eligibility. Yet, mention that to a Wisconsin fan and they are like, "no thanks." Which leads to two follow-up questions. One, why the disdain? And two, if Vakos returned, would he be Luke Fickell's best option?

First, let's answer the easy question. Field goal kickers live in a world in which they are expected to come in and be perfect. Most fans of any fanbase aren't loving their kicker. Every missed kick compounds on a kicker, and the fanbase grows more frustrated. A quarterback can go 5/10 on a drive, and fans don't bat an eye, but as soon as that kicker goes 0/1. It's over. However, for Vakos, his last two seasons weren't great. He was 12 of 19 as a junior and 7 for 11.

It doesn't help Vakos that every point was desperately needed for the Badgers. So for him to leave 21 points on the board as a junior and 12 points on the board as a senior was magnified by the offense that couldn't even get into striking distance consistently.

The follow-up question is harder...

Is Nathanial Vakos the best kicking option for Wisconsin if he can return?

Right now, Wisconsin has two kickers on the roster. Neither has attempted a single field goal in college. That doesn't necessarily mean they are worse than Vakos, but it also doesn't mean they are better. Let's look at each.

Gavin Lahm - Senior

Lahm is a kicker from Kaukauna who has been with the Badgers for four seasons; 2026 will be his fifth. He spent last season as a redshirt, specifically so he could have this final season to maybe be the starting kicker. His first three seasons before that were purely doing kickoffs. He has a strong leg, but he's unknown when it comes to kicking field goals or extra points.

Brady Lelum - Freshman

Then there's Lelum, another local product from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He's a true freshman who has never even run onto a college football field, much less tried to attempt a field goal with screaming fans in his ears. Yet, many kickers start as freshmen, and this is how Vakos is in this mess. Lelum could be the answer and could be the answer for the next few years.

Lelum is a priority walk-on, and so that might tell you that Fickell sees him as the backup to Lahm. As a senior, Lelum hit all 26 of his extra point attempts and went 6-11 on field goals, making a long of 49 yards.

Then there's Vakos, if he were to return. Badger fans may not like it, but he may be the best option. Or give one of these other two a chance.

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