The Third Unit: IA's Top Kickers of 2025

In our next edition of The Third Unit, we recognize the top special teams standouts across the high school football scene in Iowa through the 2025 season. Starting off with our Kickers, 2025 held an impressive batch of placekickers who flashed their range while maintaining a high level of consistency throughout their field goal and extra point kicks, proving reliable to be put out on the field in difficult situations to get points on the board for their teams. We reveal 6 of the best Kickers across Iowa from the 2025 season today!    Xavier finishes a spectacular run with another 4A title added to their belt, in the process concluding a brilliant senior campaign for possibly the best Kicker in the state, Owen Vasquez. Vasquez finished 11 of 12 on field goals while making 56 of 58 extra point attempts this season. Vasquez was on point throughout his senior campaign, showing natural poise and confidence in his kicking ability, and while he didn't get a ton of opportunities to flash his power, he was able to land 9 touchbacks and hit a season long of 44 yards, so there is clear power to behold in his leg. With a state title added to his name, it will be interesting to see where Vasquez ends up, but he should be a priority late-stage signing for teams still in need of a placekicker.     [player_tooltip player_id='2000270' first='Collin' last='Weis'] emerged during his senior season as a legitimate stud on the special teams for the Lightning. Weis finished 11 of 13 on field goals with a season long of 43 while making all 55 of his extra point attempts. He made a critical 42 yard field goal at the end of the half in the 5A quarterfinals game against Southeast Polk, which proved to be the difference as the Lightning would go on to win by 3 in a shootout. His clutch ability and consistency guided the Lightning to another excellent season as one of the top contenders of 5A, and it should warrant some attention heading into this offseason as a late recruiting pick.     Ryan Kuhn might not have had the most consistency as a placekicker, but his range and power showcased a sheen amount of potential as a specialist. Kuhn finished 13 of 19 on field goals with a season long of 46 while making 45 of 47 extra point attempts. That impressive kicking power earned him 1st-team all-state honors this season, showing a solid amount of velocity and arc in both his field goals and kickoffs as he was able to push the ball far while sacrificing a bit of height on his kicks. Kuhn might be better suited as a kickoff specialist at the next level, but if he works on getting the ball off vertically, he could become quite a dangerous weapon at the next level.     Our first Kicker who was ranked among the top of the bunch heading into this season, [player_tooltip player_id='1248121' first='Cael' last='Harms'] lived up to his standing as a dangerous specialist that has stood out within the state. Harms finished 10 of 13 on field goals with a season long of 44 while finishing 37 of 38 on extra points. Showcasing a solid boot with impressive velocity, Harms may have stood out more on kickoff duties, where he nailed 17 touchbacks and has shown capable of making successful onside kick attempts. Harms is another promising stud on special teams that will be looking for a destination at the next level this offseason.     While listed as a TE, Aaron Christian found his calling last season as a placekicker for the Rams last season. Christian finished 10 of 15 on field goals with a season long of 52 while finishing 33 of 37 on extra points. Christian's athleticism is impressive, with a 4.4 40 yard time, 420 lb max deadlift, and a 350 lb max squat, Christian has measurables that fit more as an Athlete type of player at the next level, and while he wasn't entirely consistent, his range can not be ignored as he has one of the strongest boots in the state. Christian holds an offer from Dakota Wesleyan, and he could be due for more offers over the next few months.     Gavin Egeland's value went far beyond special teams, but he proved to hold his own ranking among the best Kickers in Iowa to go with his efforts toward Nevada's run to the 3A title. Egeland made all 9 of his field goal attempts with a season long of 45 yards while finishing 35 of 36 on extra points and hitting 27 touchbacks on kickoffs this season. Noting that his primary position lies at WR, those numbers are impressive, placing him among the best placekickers in the state while also racking up over 700 receiving yards this season. Egeland's value will be boosted heading into this offseason as a multi-faceted weapon that should be an asset to whoever picks him up.

In our next edition of The Third Unit, we recognize the top special teams standouts across the high school football scene in Iowa through the 2025 season. Starting off with our Kickers, 2025 held an impressive batch of placekickers who flashed their range while maintaining a high level of consistency throughout their field goal and extra point kicks, proving reliable to be put out on the field in difficult situations to get points on the board for their teams. We reveal 6 of the best Kickers across Iowa from the 2025 season today!