Pat Narduzzi has had four starting kickers during his 10 years at Pitt, but he’s never had to replace a kicker like Ben Sauls.
There have been NFL kickers (in Chris Blewitt and Alex Kessman), but Sauls has been the best kicker of the Narduzzi era. He’s earned a couple of All-ACC nods (snubbed this season with a third-team honor), and especially this season, if a kick needed to be made, he was there.
Sauls set the program record for the most consecutive field goals made and tied the record for the longest field goal made. He’s been automatic.
“He’s the best one I’ve ever been around,” Pat Narduzzi said after the win against Syracuse. “I would imagine he’d be up for the Lou Groza. They should just give it to him mid-season. He’s automatic from 57, 58. Doesn’t matter where you put him. He’s been outstanding this entire season.”
- Chris Blewitt — 25/40 (63%)
- Alex Kessman — 69/96 (72%)
- Sam Scarton 17/21 (79%)
- Ben Sauls — 49/61 (80%)
And now Sauls is headed to the NFL — after the GameAbove Sports Bowl against Toledo on Dec. 26. Pitt landed Murray State transfer James London on Friday night, adding a scholarship kicker to a room that also includes walk-on Sam Carpenter. There will be a competition, but London was brought in to be the replacement. And he has big shoes to fill.
Here’s how kickers have performed during the Narduzzi era:
2015 — Chris Blewitt: 15/23 (65%) – 42/43 (98%)
2016 — Chris Blewitt: 10/17 (59%) – 66/69 (96%)
2017 — Alex Kessman: 11/19 (59%) – 34/34 (100%)
2018 — Alex Kessman: 13/17 (76%) – 40/42 (95%)
2019 — Alex Kessman: 22/31 (71%) – 29/30 (97%)
2020 — Alex Kessman: 23/29 (79%) – 31/32 (97%)
2021 — Sam Scarton: 17/21 (81%) – 69/72 (96%)
2022 — Ben Sauls: 20/24 (83%) – 47/47 (100%)
2023 — Ben Sauls: 11/16 (69%) – 28/28 (100%)
2024 — Ben Sauls: 18/21 (86%) – 41/41 (100%)
2025 — James London: ???
London spent two seasons at Murray State, earning the starting job this season as a true sophomore. He connected on 14-of-19 field attempts, with a long of 55 yards. He converted seven field goals of at least 50 yards this season — leading the Racers with 65 points.
He earned first-team All-MVC and All-American honorable mention honors as he led the conference in field goals made and field goal percentage.
Like Sauls, London has a very big leg. And with a few seasons of eligibility under his belt, he has the potential to develop into a very good kicker with special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski at his side — and, honestly, he already is a very solid kicker.
It’s a big opportunity for London to build off the platform that Sauls built and push the Pitt special teams unit even higher.
