Local kicker Caden Chittenden has edge for UNLV job

The UNLV football team's not-so-secret weapon last season was special teams.

The return game was excellent, the coverage units almost never made mistakes, and when the Scarlet and Gray needed a clutch kick, they could count on Jose Pizano to come through in the clutch.

Pizano was a weapon in his own right, hitting 26-of-29 field goals while going a perfect 55-of-55 on extra points. And he was nails when it counted, knocking in a pair of game-winners against Vanderbilt and Colorado State. That performance made him a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s best collegiate kicker, and earned him Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

Now that Pizano has graduated, UNLV is trying to do the impossible, conducting an open training-camp competition to find his replacement for 2024 and beyond.

Big shoes, indeed.

It hasn’t drawn as much attention as the team’s quarterback battle, but three kickers are vying to be the man called upon when UNLV needs three crucial points.

While Pizano transferred to UNLV as a seasoned veteran, the leader to replace him, coach Barry Odom said, is true freshman Caden Chittenden.

Chittenden made a name for himself at Faith Lutheran by setting a state record for career field goals, including a 57-yarder last year. He has displayed a strong leg throughout camp, and his accuracy has picked up as of late, impressing Odom and special teams coordinator James Shibest.

While the competition isn’t over just yet, Odom is leaning toward trusting the freshman.

“Chittenden has done some things in the last few days to take a leg up, so to speak,” Odom said. “I’m not ready to say he’s the starter yet. As coach Shibest gets through a couple things we want to get done in the next couple days, we’ll have that more narrowed down.”

As a junior at Faith Lutheran, Chittenden connected on 17 of 22 field goal attempts; he then upped that to 18 of 22 as a senior. He was rated a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports, which ranked him No. 14 in the country among placekickers.

Shibest wants to see a little more before naming a kicker for Week 1, but like Odom, he has been impressed with Chittenden.

“We haven’t made any decisions yet,” Shibest said. “None of those guys have kicked a field goal in a (college) game, which obviously can be a little concerning. It might be a little bit of a slow process early in the season if somebody struggles, but all of them have been kicking well. We’ve been really happy with Caden. He’s been really consistent, especially the last week here.”

Chittenden is competing with redshirt freshman Ramon Villela and junior Andre Meono, with all three rotating throughout training camp.

Meono started his college career as a backup at Fresno State, registering just two PAT tries in his two years there before transferring to UNLV in 2023. He handled kickoff duties for the Scarlet and Gray last season, allowing Pizano to focus on placekicking.

While Pizano was known for his flat affectation, even in most pulse-pounding moments, this trio of kickers have a different approach.

“They’re totally different,” Shibest said with a hearty laugh. “Caden’s a little hyper. He’s always smiling. Nothing fazes him. And Andre is about the most laid-back dude I’ve ever seen, which can be good; maybe the pressure won’t affect him. But I feel good about whoever’s in there.”

Throughout practice, the coaches will orchestrate 2-minute drives with the intention of simulating last-second field-goal attempts. It’s not the real thing, but Chittenden has passed those tests.

“He has done well as a freshman in as many staged opportunities as we can get,” Odom said. “Need a field goal to win the game, all those different [drills].”

As the competition winds down, Shibest is confident UNLV will have a strong kicking game once again in 2024. One factor that should help is having Pizano available as a mentor. Shibest said Pizano was still connected to the program and willing to work with the current crop of kickers.

“Somebody’s going to step up,” Shibest said. “I know we’ve got hard shoes to fill with the last couple guys that have been here. The great thing is, Jose has been around and them guys are close; he’s kind of a resource for those guys, too, if they’re struggling a little bit or need some help.

“I know one of them guys will come through, and we’ll feel pretty good about it.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.