Freshman kicker Scott Starzyk walks in big shoes that paved Razorbacks path

Despite what a 7-17 record in games decided by a single possession or less, and a 30-31 overall mark might suggest, Sam Pittman has enjoyed the luxury of having a highly effective kicker in three of his first five seasons as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Those were the years with current Jacksonville Jaguars place kicker Cam Little, who was chosen in the sixth round 2024 NFL draft. Little's 82.8 percent career mark for field goals set a program record and propelled him to a rare position on NFL draft boards for a kicker.

Last season Arkansas kickers were more hit and miss as Matthew Shipley stepped in for a struggling Kyle Ramsey before both seniors departed the program.

Setting Foot on Fayetteville

Going into Pittman's sixth year as head coach of the Razorbacks football team, Arkansas is set to turn to another freshman who hopes to fill Little's sizable shoes. That honor goes to the nation's top rated incoming kicker Scott Starzyk who is most likely to succeed Little and handle the ever-important field goal kicking duties going into the 2025 Fall Camp at Arkansas.

"I don't know if you remember when you were going to college, but it was kind of scary," Pittman told reporters after players reported for the first practice of camp yesterday. "And especially if you're going on a major SEC team. But I think (Starzyk's) confidence always (propelled him to this level). Obviously we believed in him out of high school. That's one position that we believe that we can come in as a freshman and do it."

Big Little Footsteps to Follow

That was the case for Little, who won the job as a freshman in Pittman's second season and held it for the following three years. The Moore, Okla. native went on to earn All-SEC honors by 2023 before being ranked by ESPN's draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. as the top kicking prospect when he became draft eligible in 2024.

Starzyk is aiming for a similar trajectory coming out of Woodlands High School in Texas. He arrives in Fayetteville as a five-star prospect and rated as the top placekicker in his class by Kohl's Kicking. Kohl's sponsors training camps across the country for aspiring high school kickers, punters and long snappers and compiles a ratings system used by college coaches and professional scouts.

Their assessment of Starzyk included naming the 5-10, 172 pounder the best in his class in pressure situations and competition events, which included field goals, punting and kickoffs.

"Starzyk is one of the most talented specialists in the 2025 class and we expect big things from him in college," the assessment concluded. Apparently, the Michigan Wolverines, Iowa Hawkeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies and Mississippi State Bulldogs agreed and were among the Power Four programs to offer him a scholarship.

Initially as the No. 2 ranked kicking prospect, Starzyk signed with the Hawkeyes. But when the then No. 1-ranked prospect Evan Noel decommitted from Arkansas and decided to take his talents to Gainesville, Fla. and the Florida Gators, Starzyk flipped his commitment from Iowa and the Big 10 Conference to join the fray in the Southeastern Conference and landed in Fayetteville with the Razorbacks.

Mind over Other Matters

Before all was said and done, the kickers weren't the only ones flipping tables as Kohl's and others landed on Starzyk as the most bankable freshman kicker in his class. Pittman is banking on the youngster's talents as well.

"We didn't have field goal per se today, but he said he was 6-for-6 on his on his field goals in the stadium," Pittman said. "We're trying to bring him over here, so they'll get used to winning games over here. But he's really talented, and he kicked the ball a country mile.

"He’s shown that in the spring. I think he kicked a 59 yarder, I think, [when] we had to have it in offensively. We had to have it for two-minute drill, and he kicked a 59 yarder in practice to make it under pressure. So I think he’s going to be just fine."

Pittman later added when referring to freshman wideout Antonio Jordan from Warren — who stands at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds — that metrics like size and weight often limit players coming in and starting straight out of high school. But when it comes to kickers, it's the mind that matters most.

"And especially if you're going on a major SEC team, but I think of his confidence always," Pittman said. "Obviously we believed in him out of high school. That's one position that we believe that we can come in as a freshman and (contribute as a freshman). Obviously, we had great luck with Cam Little. Now, he's special. But at the same time, I think his confidence has grown and he's very accurate."

Staryzk's Origin Story

Starzyk previous recounted how he got his confidence as a seventh grader when he watched an older teammate make a game-winning field goal from 55 yards in the final seconds. That second-hand experience imprinted on Starzyk that football heroes come in all sizes. From that moment, he knew what he wanted to do and began working to experience those thrills first hand.

In preparation for those moments to come, Pittman said the Razorbacks will be throwing the unexpected at his kickers during the summer. The aim is to get Starzyk and his fellow kickers competing during camp to be ready for the wild moments and finishes in SEC play which can make all the difference in those one-score ball games the Razorbacks hope to start winning more frequently.

"Well, we're going to have some people in there. I always believe people — you go in there and it's empty, I don't know if you have as much pressure if you've (never) had 70,000 or 80,000 (cheering fans). So we have to do that," Pittman said. "We're going to have certain times during practice that he has no idea that we're going to field goal, and it might be move the ball period, and we're second-and-10, and we're going, ‘Field goal!’

"We’ve got to put him in situations where he doesn't necessarily know on this piece of paper that it's field goal time. We have to do that with him. Obviously, to build confidence, you probably need to kick in that area where you know [it’s a] good percentage he's going to make it, you build that confidence and move it back as as camp goes."