Indiana didn’t play in many tight games in 2025.
Really just five of its 16 wins fit that description.
And there was a common denominator in all five of those contests: Kicker Nico Radicic.
In each of IU’s wins at Iowa, at Oregon, at Penn State, vs. Ohio State, and vs. Miami, Radicic made two field goals. He was 10 of 11 in those games, with his points just from field goals making the difference in four of five.
Radicic was 18 of 19 on the season and co-led the nation with his 94.7% make rate.
The redshirt junior from Texas arrived for Tom Allen’s last season in Bloomington. He’s been reliable from the start, and has two years of eligibility remaining.
And now Radicic wants the all-time college football field goal percentage record.
“I think I just need to keep sustaining it and not fill my head with the fact that I had two 90% years,” Radicic said Tuesday. “My goal is to be the most accurate kicker in college history and I just have to keep making kicks. So, it’s one after another. I don’t think about the next one. It’s run out there for one of those and after that one’s done, I got to focus on the next one, miss or make.”
As things currently stand, Radicic is 29 of 31 (.935) for his college career. He has missed just once each of the last two seasons. His lone miss in 2025 came in the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State, and he did just as he suggested, followed it up with a make right before halftime.
Radicic would be the current all-time leader in college football history for field goal percentage, but there’s an attempt minimum for such things — as you’d expect.
The NCAA record book mentions kickers with at least 45 and 55 career attempts. Here’s how it looks at the moment.
Career
(Min. 45 FGM) 90.0%—Brett Baer, Louisiana, 2009-12 (45 of 50)
(Min. 55 FGM) 89.5%—Alex Henery, Nebraska, 2007-10 (68 of 76)
Attempts are no sure thing for Radicic while playing in a program with a dynamic offense, and with a head coach who likes to go for it on fourth down. Radicic is currently at 31 attempts in 30 games, so as long as he plays two more seasons he should qualify.
One way Radicic could help his cause and earn more attempts would be to convince head coach Curt Cignetti he’s got the range for longer kicks.
Last season Cignetti opted to have kickoff specialists Brandan Franke handle the long attempts. Franke got two chances and he made a 58-yarder at Oregon. He hit the crossbar on another.
This year Cignetti says new kickoff specialist Paddy McAteer has long field goal ability similar to Franke.
So there’s a competition this spring and into fall camp for the opportunity to kick the long ones. And every attempt is going to count as Radicic pursues the all-time record.
Radicic says he’s confident on kicks up to 58 yards out.
“It’s all about contact. It was never about how strong my leg was,” Radicic said. “I just had to find where that plant foot felt comfortable and where I can swing through the ball.
“And I can say that confidently now that range is not a problem for me anymore.”
Note: Radicic has made 142 of 142 extra points. If he remains at 100% throughout his career he’ll tie 41 other kickers with a perfect mark.
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