OXFORD – Even though he hit all six of his field goal tries from 50 yards or more last season, Ole Miss junior kicker Lucas Carneiro wants more out of that right leg of his.
Carneiro, a first-year transfer from Western Kentucky, was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2024. He hit 18 of 19 field goals for the Hilltoppers and made all 41 extra-point tries. The Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year entered the transfer portal following the Hilltoppers’ bowl game and eventually made his way to Ole Miss. He was rated a three-star transfer by On3.
Caden Davis handled field goals for the Rebels in each of the previous two seasons, making 42 of 52 kicks combined. The Texas A&M transfer hit a career-long 57-yarder at LSU in 2024.
“Big thing for me was the weight room this offseason and also finding a spot that I think will help me get to the next level, that was a big thing. One of my big goals is to go to the next level,” Carneiro said. “ … I felt right when I got here on my visit, this is where I need to be.
“ … That was a big decision for me, and I think I made the right choice.”
In addition to lifting more in the weight room, Carneiro said he has focused on his flexibility and his recovery, making sure to take care of his body so his leg swing stays the same speed the following day and he doesn’t miss a beat. He has also said he has been working on consistent contact with the ball and timing up his leg swing.
Carneiro said he hit a 58-yarder at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium earlier this week with plenty of room to spare.
“It’s up to me to take advantage of all that,” Carneiro said. “They could give anything to me, and it’s up to me to kind of go with that and go with their plan. I trusted it and went with it. It’s helped me a lot.”
Carneiro’s last-second 50-yarder in Western Kentucky’s regular-season finale against Jacksonville State last season sent the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA title game. When it’s time to kick, Carneiro finds that a simple mindset is best.
“I try to keep it very bare minimum, because I compare myself to like a quarterback mind-wise. If you’re thinking about too much, you kind of lose focus on what you’re doing in the moment,” Carneiro said. “So for me, when I go out there, I don’t say anything until I’ve taken my steps back, and when I’m looking out from my spot. When I get set, I just tell myself, ‘Swinging contact.’ Obviously there’s a lot more that goes into that swinging contact, but if I just remind myself that, everything else that I do to lead up to that will kind of go in process.”
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