It’s possible no one on UL’s roster has bigger shoes to fill than whoever wins the place-kicking job for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Redshirt senior Logan Klotz is hoping to take on that role.
“I think I just have to treat each rep, give it life and then move on from it,” the Slidell native. “So I think I'll be ready for the opportunity when it presents itself.”
Klotz has been behind the most accomplished kicker in school history in Kenny Almendares, and he’s learned many lessons from last year’s Lou Groza Award winner.
“I've been doing it for a while,” Klotz said. “Me and Kenny always had that conversation as far as just like, we've been kicking forever. This is no different than when we were kicking in the front yard, when we were younger and, you know, growing up playing soccer, playing a game on a Saturday, you know, this is really no different than that.”
All that perspective aside, the task of attempting to replicate the best kicking performance in the nation last season isn’t lost on Klotz, redshirt junior Tony Sterner or freshman Brek Schultz.
“Him winning that award obviously was really no surprise to us because we go to work with him every day,” Klotz said. “It really, really elevated the thought process on our ends as far as there's no reason that we can't do it as well.
“Just seeing him go through that process and do things the right way and get rewarded for it, he definitely kind of just gave us a little bit more motivation for this upcoming season.”
Those thoughts are the big picture. These days, it’s a matter of winning the starting kicker spot in preseason camp.
Klotz performed some kickoff duties last season, but has never attempted a field goal during his college career. Sterner did make a 27-yarder last season for the Cajuns.
“Very competitive,” Klotz said of the battle. “We have a couple of guys who can do it at a high level. I think we’re all ready to be a game-changer for the team and help give us the best chance to win this year.”
The idea is the competition will drive the last man standing to a higher level of execution.
“I think that's the best part about having a few guys who can really do it is we're all going to get the best versions of ourselves,” Klotz said. “So at the end of the day, I think the best person's going to be out there just because we all elevated our games to compete with one another.”
That’s certainly what UL coach Michael Desormeaux is hoping for, but kicker battles can be tricky. The Cajuns’ coaching staff has gone through plenty of quarterback races, but there’s many more snaps involved in that competition.
“I think the numbers have more to do with it,” Desormeaux suggested. “The data kind of tells you, but the sample size is naturally much smaller. So, yes and no, it's kind of the numbers tell you what you need to do, but it's a small sample size.
“We’ve got three capable guys, so that’s what you want. I think between the three of them, we got one that can do it for us.”
On paper, it’s Klotz’s turn if he can make enough kicks during preseason camp. Klotz said he feels comfortable in place-kicking and kickoff duties.
“I think that I’ve kind of worked while I’ve waited,” he said. “That’s kind of how I’ve treated my career each year. I think you just send me out there to hit a field and I’ll make it. That’s how I kind of keep it simple, don’t overthink it.”
Even more than the kicker, UL must also replace one of the top holders in school history, as well in Dalen Cambre.
Snapper Hunter Sims has been practicing with Klotz for years and there’s certainly a bond there.
“Right now, probably the leader in the clubhouse as far as being my holder,” Klotz said of Sims. “He got here a few months after I did back in 2020, so that's somebody I have a lot of trust in, that's somebody who I spend time with off the field and one of my best friends on the team, too. So there’s a lot of trust in that guy.”
As for his range, Klotz said that would be determined over time if he wins the job, but he’s currently thinking a “high 50s range.”
“I've always felt like I have a really strong leg, and that's kind of one of my best facets of my game is leg strength,” he said.