College Students Have Won $2.7M in McAfee Kicking Contest This Season

Beginning in 2023, ESPN analyst and former NFL kicker and punter Pat McAfee launched his ESPN College GameDay Kicking Challenge, where students can attempt a 33-yard kick to earn earn five- or six-figure sums.

McAfee’s premise is to show fans that kicking an extra point isn’t as easy as it looks on television. In the first year of the challenge, only one student made the kick all season.

But this season, contestants have made it look easy by comparison.

The gimmick, especially with McAfee at the helm, quickly became a fan favorite—so much so that the GameDay crew drove McAfee’s goalposts in a truck overnight from South Bend, Ind., to Columbus, Ohio, during a special two-episode, 24-hour expanded College Football Playoff edition of the show at the end of December.

Each episode, the crew picks one fan from the crowd of the game to kick a 33-yard field goal live on-air—the length of an extra point—in exchange for a monetary prize to help cover the cost of tuition and, in some cases, an extra amount for charity. Fans who are 18 or older and among the first 300 to show up to the broadcast are eligible—they just can’t be current or former college athletes, or under the influence of alcohol, or wearing shoes besides sneakers or cleats. Fans enter their name through a raffle, which takes place about 30 minutes before the show begins. (The official rules are on ESPN’s website.)

In 2023, Greyson Wilhelm, a Washington sophomore, showed up to the GameDay broadcast with a sign that said “kicking is easy.” He earned $30,000 after converting on his second try.

Contestants had better luck last year. During the regular season, four students converted kicks for a total of $650,000. In some cases, McAfee offered to double the prize upon a second try, with a promise to give a portion to charity. And he often volunteers the show’s celebrity guest picker—most recently actor Glen Powell—to contribute. 

Here’s a tracker of all the students who have made kicks this year—for a total of $2.7 million so far for themselves and charity:

• Week 1 in Columbus for Ohio State vs. Texas: Sophomore Ohio State student Logan Pallo made the kick on the first try for a total of $250,000. He was originally offered $50,000, but McAfee upped it to $250,000 during the show—even taking a marker to add a “two” to the check Pallo held up after the game.
• Week 2 in Norman for Oklahoma vs. Michigan: Oklahoma freshman Jack Daugard nailed a field goal to win $200,000 for himself and $100,000 for Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann’s foundation. Jack came prepared, wearing his own cleats for the kick.
• Week 5 in State College for Penn State vs. Oregon: Penn State student William originally won the contest raffle but tapped Carson Albright, a soccer player, to try the kick, and Albright nailed it for $300,000 from McAfee to split with William.
• Week 9 in Nashville for Vanderbilt vs. Missouri: Vanderbilt student Tyler Hwang drilled a kick worth $500,000 (and an additional $250,000 for charity) on his first try—wearing no shoes. College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit called it “the best kick we’ve ever had.” Hwang did it flanked by special guest Sarah Fuller, a former Vanderbilt soccer player who, during her senior year in 2020, became the first woman to play—and score—in a Power 5 football game.
• Week 10 in Salt Lake City for Utah vs. Cincinnati: Saturday’s kick came with some surprises. Utah student Garrett Morris won the contest, but selected his friend Jonah Knubel to kick for him. Knubel played soccer in high school and also kicked for the football team. McAfee initially offered $500,000 for the kick, but increased the offer to $750,000 after learning about Knubel’s kicking background. Knubel missed the first kick, but made a second attempt for $500,000 ($250,000 for the two students, $250,000 for charity), netting him and Morris $125,000, each.
• Week 11 in Lubbock for Texas Tech vs. BYU: Texas Tech senior John Machtolff, a former high school kicker, missed the first kick attempt but got a second chance offer from McAfee and didn’t waste it, nailing the kick for $250,000 for himself and another $250,000 for charity.
• Week 13 in Eugene for Oregon v. USC: Oregon computer science major Otto Haar made his second attempt for a cool $100,000 check.

Editors’ Note: This story will be updated with more made kicks.