96 Days Until Hawkeye Football: Lucas Amaya

Welcome back to our countdown of the Iowa Hawkeyes football season. Our next player preview is a redshirt freshman kicker.

Here’s a weird moment in 96’s memory, where Mike Meyer hit field goals in overtime and double overtime to beat the Michigan State Spartans. Was this the highlight of 2012?

Lucas Amaya– RS Freshman
Muskego, WI (Muskego)
6’3”, 200 lbs
2020 Projection: Reserve kicker

Amaya came to Iowa as a preferred walk-on in the class of 2019. He told Blair Sanderson of Rivals that he selected the spot over offers from South Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth, noting Iowa’s “atmosphere and culture.”

He was ranked as the 54th kicker according to Kohl’s, where they highlighted the lefty’s potential as a D1 kicker: creating cleaner contact and more control on field goals and kickoffs will be key for his development. In his senior year at Muskego, he went 8/11 on field goals and a long of 44.

While Keith Duncan has the field goals on lock after a consensus All-American year, Iowa will be looking to backfill Caleb Shudak’s kickoff duties. Though Duncan is the odds on favorite, if Amaya demonstrates an aptitude on kickoffs then Kirk Ferentz may split duties like 2019.

In all likelihood, 2021 is when Amaya will truly push for playing time after Duncan departs.