{"id":26886,"date":"2025-02-18T03:29:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T03:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=26886"},"modified":"2025-02-18T03:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T03:29:43","slug":"breaking-ravens-eyeing-pitt-star-as-potential-replacement-for-justin-tucker-is-this-the-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=26886","title":{"rendered":"“BREAKING: Ravens Eyeing Pitt Star as Potential Replacement for Justin Tucker \u2013 Is This the End?”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Baltimore Ravens are targeting a Pitt Panthers star kicker.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Sep<\/picture><\/figure>\n
Sep 24, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers place kicker Ben Sauls (90) kicks off to the Rhode Island Rams during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images \/ Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Baltimore Ravens will likely look for a new kicker in the near future and one Pitt Panthers specialist could fill that void for next season.<\/p>\n

Ben Rolfe of\u00a0Pro Football Network<\/a>\u00a0released his seven-round mock draft and has the Ravens taking Pitt placekicker Ben Sauls in the seventh round and the No. 245 overall pick.<\/p>\n

Ravens five-time First Team All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker had a poor 2024 campaign, making 22-of-30 field goals for a career-low, 73.3%.<\/p>\n

Tucker also now has 16 massage therapists accusing him of sexually inappropriate behavior, according to the latest\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0from the Baltimore Banner. Tucker has denied any wrongdoing amongst these allegations.<\/p>\n

Sauls had a fantastic 2024 season, going 44-for-44 on PATs and 21-for-24 on field goals, with one blocked. He made his first 13 attempts, before missing a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter of the 48-25 loss to then ranked No. 20\u00a0SMU<\/a>\u00a0on the road in Week 10.<\/p>\n

He also made six 50+ yard field goals, with the 57-yarder he made at the end of the first half in the road loss to Boston College in Week 14 marking the most in a season for a field goal kicker.<\/p>\n

His 49-yard field goal in the first quarter for\u00a0Syracuse<\/a>\u00a0in Week 9 was his 13th straight field goal dating back to 2023, which set a\u00a0new school record<\/a>\u00a0for most consecutive field goals. This eclipsed the previous record of 12, that both Chris Ferenick in 1995 and Conor Lee in 2007 set, and he had 15 consecutive he made before that miss vs. SMU.<\/p>\n

Sauls also made a 58-yard field goal vs.\u00a0Cal<\/a>\u00a0in their Week 7 matchup on Oct. 12 at Acrisure Stadium, that tied former Pitt kicker Alex Kessman’s 58-yarder he converted against Boston College in 2020 to send the game into overtime. It is also the\u00a0longest field goal<\/a>\u00a0at Acrisure Stadium in Pitt history, as Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers made one from 59 yards there.<\/p>\n

His best game of the season came against\u00a0Cincinnati\u00a0<\/a>in the River City Rivalry on the road in Week 2, for which he earned ACC Specialist of the Week and\u00a0Lou Groza Star of the Week<\/a>\u00a0honors.<\/p>\n

Sauls finished the day 3-for-3 on field goals, including the only points in the second half from 47 yards and a career-high of 53 yards at the end of the first half. He would also hit the game winning field goal from 35 yards out in front of his friends and family, as he grew up 65 miles north of Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

His six field goals of 50 yards or more in 2024 was the most in program history, which included a 57-yarder in the 48-46 loss to\u00a0Toledo<\/a>\u00a0in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.<\/p>\n

Sauls has had some great moments is most famous for his heroics against UCLA in the 2022 Sun Bowl. Against the Bruins, Sauls went 5-of-5 in the El Paso, Texas wind. He made kicks from 22, 49, 31, 27 and 47 yards against UCLA. Sauls made the 47-yard field goal as time dwindled down to seal the Sun Bowl victory for the Panthers.<\/p>\n

He was also just the third Panther to earn a\u00a0Lou Groza Semifinalist honor<\/a>, along with Kessman in 2020 and Ferencik, who was a finalist for the 1995 award.<\/p>\n

Sauls earned PFF All-American\u00a0honors<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0All-ACC<\/a>\u00a0Third Team honors for his play in 2024 .He finished his Pitt career going 52-of-64 on field goals, 81.3%, and 122-of-124 on PATs.<\/p>\n

Sauls did have an extra year of eligibility, but he chose to walk on Senior Day and is now eyeing a chance to play in the NFL.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0represent<\/a>ed\u00a0Pitt, along with seniors in wide receiver\u00a0Konata Mumpfield<\/a>\u00a0and defensive back\u00a0Donovan McMillon<\/a>, at the East-West Shrine Bowl.<\/p>\n

Sauls will also represent Pitt at the NFL Combine, along with tight end Gavin Bartholomew, offensive tackle Branson Taylor and Mumpfield.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Baltimore Ravens are targeting a Pitt Panthers star kicker. Sep 24, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers place kicker Ben Sauls (90) kicks off to the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n"BREAKING: Ravens Eyeing Pitt Star as Potential Replacement for Justin Tucker \u2013 Is This the End?" - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=26886\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""BREAKING: Ravens Eyeing Pitt Star as Potential Replacement for Justin Tucker \u2013 Is This the End?" - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Baltimore Ravens are targeting a Pitt Panthers star kicker. 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