Senior kicker for Wisconsin. 2025: 7 field goals, 40 points.
6′1″ · 208 lb · Avon, OH
The numbers
field goals · 2025
Swing playSwung Wisconsin from 28% to 54% to win.Wisconsin at Indiana · 31-7
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior kicker for Wisconsin. 2025: 7 field goals, 40 points.
Nathanial Vakos
Handles his kicks without drama. Nathanial Vakos has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. He has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week two seasons running, most recently in 2023.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-MAC · 2ND TEAM
All-MAC 2nd team (2022)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jim Leonhard → Luke Fickell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
| Season | Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4/6 (67%) | 3/5 (60%) | 0/1 | |
| 2024 | 8/12 (67%) | 0/3 | 3/3 | |
| 2023 | 11/11 (100%) | 3/4 (75%) | 1/5 (20%) | |
| Career | 23/29 (79%) | 6/12 (50%) | 4/9 (44%) |
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 10 games
| Wk | Opp | FGM/FGA | LONG | XP | PTS | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-0vs Miami (OH) | 1/1 | 42 | 2/2 | 5 | |
| Wk 2 | W 42-10vs Middle Tennessee | 0/0 | 0 | 6/6 | 6 | |
| Wk 3 | L 14-38@ Alabama | 0/0 | 0 | 2/2 | 2 | |
| Wk 4 | L 10-27vs Maryland | 1/3 | 33 | 1/1 | 4 | |
| Wk 6 | L 10-24@ Michigan | 1/1 | 39 | 1/1 | 4 | |
| Wk 9 | L 7-21@ Oregon | 0/0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 | |
| Wk 11 | W 13-10vs Washington | 2/3 | 42 | 1/1 | 7 | |
| Wk 12 | L 7-31@ Indiana | 0/1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 | |
| Wk 13 | W 27-10vs Illinois | 2/2 | 47 | 3/3 | 9 | |
| Wk 14 | L 7-17@ Minnesota | 0/0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 | |
| Total | 7/11 | 47 | — | 40 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 11 · 2025
W 13–10
vs Washington
7 points · 42 long · 67 percent on field goals
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
Season context · Team result + system
Play style
Handles his kicks without drama.
CFB Index positional classification
Wisconsin’s specialists
Player DNA
Handles his kicks without drama.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tim Horn’s 2024 season.
Matches Tim on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Tim Horn's senior season at Rice (2023).
Matches Tim on
Differs from Tim on
Player DNA