Who is Lucas Carneiro? Meet touted Ole Miss kicker who played big role in CFP semifinal vs. Miami

Who is Lucas Carneiro? Meet touted Ole Miss kicker who played big role in CFP semifinal vs. Miami originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro has made a name for himself this season and was at the center of the Fiesta Bowl narrative on Thursday night. First, the junior nailed a 58-yarder and was celebrated for it. However, the first Ole Miss drive of the third quarter ended with a miss from 52 yards. Carneiro’s 58-yard field goal was the second-longest made in College Football Playoff history.

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Despite the miss in a big spot, things have been overwhelmingly positive for the Ole Miss specialist this year.

He has been especially dominant in the College Football Playoff, going a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, including a 56-yarder against Georgia and a 58-yarder against Miami. He holds four of the six longest converted attempts in playoff history.

Here’s a look at Carneiro’s playoff kicking performance during the CFP as well as his career stats.

Who is Lucas Carneiro?

Lucas Carneiro is Ole Miss’ junior placekicker. Right before halftime, he made a 58-yarder look easy. In fact, the kick marked the second-longest in CFP history.

The Cornelius, North Carolina, native is a former started his career at Western Kentucky in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Ole Miss prior to the 2025 season.

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He’s missed just four field goals all season, including one against Miami, and has made every extra-point attempt.

"Really, I just keep it very, very minimum," Carneiro said of his midset when lining up to kick via 247Sports. "I compare myself to a quarterback mind-wise. If you're thinking too much, you kind of lose focus on what you're doing in the moment. For me, I go out there and I don't say anything until I've taken my steps back from when I'm looking out from my spot. When I get set, I just tell myself, 'Swing and contact.' Obviously there's a lot more that goes into that swing and contact but if I remind myself of that, everything else that I do leading up to that will just go with process."

Carneiro has been nearly automatic all season, but he is perhaps most celebrated in Oxford for drilling the game-winner against Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals.

Where is Lucas Carneiro from?

Lucas Carneiro is from Cornelius, North Carolina, which sits roughly 20 miles north of Charlotte. According to his Ole Miss bio, Carneiro also played soccer in high school at Community School of Davidson

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Lucas Carneiro career stats

Here's a look at Carneiro's stats this season:

Lucas Carneiro longest field goals

Carneiro has made some long field goals this year. On the season, he has made 56-, 58- and 54-yarders, including a 54-yarder against Tulane during the regular season. He is 8-of-9 on field goals from 40–49 yards. His 58-yarder against Miami is the longest of the season.

According to the ESPN broadcast, Carneiro will return to Ole Miss in 2026. There would likely be a spot for him in the NFL, however, if he chooses to turn pro following the season.