Clemson freshman kicker Nolan Hauser was named as the Football Writers Association of America’s (FWAA) Freshman Special Teams Player of the Year on Tuesday. The honor comes after a season that saw him break both FBS and Clemson records. Hauser becomes the inaugural winner of the special teams category.
Three other Tigers – linebacker Sammy Brown, cornerback Ashton Hampton, and wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. – were named to the Freshman All-America team alongside Hauser.
Those four selections led all schools in FBS.
Connecting on 17 of his 23 field goal attempts and 56 of 57 extra points in the 2024 season, Hauser provided a level of comfort for offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s attack, ensuring points were often secured when drives faltered deep in opponents’ territory. Coming off of a season that saw Clemson employ multiple kickers, to the tune of 62.5% accuracy, the offense was given a much-needed boost in reliability with Hauser’s consistency. Red zone trips now had the safety net of three points should they stall.
Of those 17 made field goals, none will be remembered as much as Hauser’s career-long 56-yard attempt with just three seconds left in the ACC Championship Game. 8th-ranked SMU had mounted a 17-point second-half comeback that tied the game with just 16 seconds to play, before the Tigers moved into field goal position.
Kicking right outside his hometown of Cornelius, N.C., Hauser connected on the field goal, sending Clemson to its eighth conference title in the last decade, and first College Football Playoff appearance since 2020. The field goal was also historic in that it was the first time in FBS history that a school had kicked a 50-yard field goal to win a conference championship as time expired.
Including Clemson’s CFP game, Hauser scored 113 total points during the season, leading the Tigers and setting a school freshman record. That figure places fourth in the FBS among freshmen, seventh among kickers, and 34th among all players.
Hauser becomes the second Clemson player to be honored as a Freshman Player of the Year, after quarterback Trevor Lawrence captured the award in its inaugural year. Clemson is the only school to have multiple winners of the award in its history.
