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Wisconsin Badgers kickers Nathanial Vakos and Gavin Lahm are competing for the starting job in 2025.

Lahm, a kickoff specialist in the previous two seasons, returned to Wisconsin after briefly entering the transfer portal.

Vakos, the incumbent field goal kicker, struggled at points in the 2024 season. He has worked on the mental side of kicking in the offseason.

PLATTEVILLE — Nathanial Vakos had not been much of a reader.

“I haven’t read a book since high school,” the Wisconsin kicker said candidly after UW’s 10th practice of fall camp Aug. 9.

But after experiencing some disappointment in 2024 — and borrowing a copy from UW linebacker Tyler Jansey — Vakos read a book by motivational author David Goggins and has been “learning different outlooks on how to think

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