Dragan Kesich

Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn

Position:
K
Ht./Wt.:
6-5 / 235
Hometown:
Oak Creek, Wis.
High School:
Oak Creek
Years in College / At Minnesota:
5 / 5
Remaining Eligibility Entering 2025 Season:
1 year
Letters:
4
Class:
Fifth Year

PRONUNCIATION

HONORS:
2025 Hula Bowl participant
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2024)
Big Ten Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year (2023)
Semifinalist for Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (2023)
All-Big Ten First Team (2023)
AP First Team All-Big Ten (2023)
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (2x in 2023)
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee (2023)
Burlsworth Trophy nominee (2023)
Lou Groza Award Star of the Week: Week 8 (10/24/23)
Academic All-Big Ten (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021)

CAREER: Made a school record six career field goals of 50 yards or more.

2024: Served as team's primary kicker • made 20-of-28 field goals and 38-of-39 points after attempts • lead team in scoring with 98 points • made one tackle. Game-by-Game: Made one field goal against North Carolina (30 yards) and recorded three touchbacks on four kickoffs • made two field goals (53 and 47 yards) against Rhode Island and recorded nine touchbacks on nine kickoffs • made field goals from 21 and 52 yards and recorded five touchbacks on six kickoffs • recorded two touchbacks on three kickoffs against Iowa • made a 20-yard field goal and recorded three touchbacks at Michigan • made a 32-yard field goal and connected on three point-after attempts against USC • made three point-after attempts at UCLA and also recorded three touchbacks on four kickoffs • scored 12 points (six PATs and field goals from 34 and 40 yards) and recorded eight touchbacks on nine kickoffs against Maryland • scored 13 points (1 PAT, 4 FG) at Illinois, making field goals from 20, 38, 45 and 46 yards • made one point-after attempt and connected on field goals from 51 and 30 yards at Rutgers • made three field goals (48, 42 and 26 yards) and kicked two point-after attempts against Penn State, while also recording six touchbacks one six kickoffs • scored six points (made 43-yard field goal and three point-after attempts) at Wisconsin • recorded his first career tackle and made one 44-yard field goal and three point-after attempts against Virginia Tech.

2023 • SENIOR SEASON: Served as team's primary kicker • made 23-of-27 field goals and 27-of-27 point after attempts to lead the team in scoring with 96 points • named the Big Ten Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and was a semifinlaist for Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (2023) • on field goals, was 1-of-1 from inside 20 yards, 6-of-6 from 20-29 yards, 8-of-10 from 30-39 yards, 5-of-6 from 40-49 yards and 3-of-4 from 50 or more yards • season-long field goal was 54 yards (tied for fifth-longest made field goal in school history), which he accomplished twice (vs. Michigan and at Ohio State) • his 23 field goals made ranks second in school history and his 85.1 field goal accuracy percentage ranks third • had a streak of 10 straight made field goals during the season, which is tied for the fifth longest in program history • kicked off 62 times and recorded 53 times for a touchback percentage of 85.48% (tied for fourth in the nation). Game-by-Game: Made two field goals against Nebraska, including a game-winning 47-yarder with zero seconds left on the clock • led team with 11 points (3 FG, 2 PAT) against Eastern Michigan and also recorded six touchbacks on six kickoffs • led team in scoring with seven points (1 FG, 2 PAT) at North Carolina, connecting on field goals from 23 and 45 yards while also recording touchbacks on all four kickoffs • recorded six touchbacks and connected on two field goals (50 and 20 yards) at Northwestern • made five point-after attempts against Louisiana and also recorded five touchbacks on six kickoffs • made a career-long 54-yard field goal (tied for fifth longest in school history and longest ever at Huntington Bank Stadium) against Michigan (Minnesota's longest made field goal since Joel Monroe made a 54-yarder at Iowa on Nov. 10, 2007) • scored all 12 of Minnesota's points in 12-10 win at Iowa, making field goals from 43, 44, 28 and 31 yards (first Gopher to make four field goals in a game since Emmit Carpenter made four at Penn State in 2016 and first Gopher to make four field goals in a win since Dan Nystrom made five against Arkansas in the 2002 Music City Bowl) • made field goals from 25 and 31 yards against Michigan State and also recorded four touchbacks on six kickoffs • scored nine points (2 FGs, 3 PATs) against Illinois (FGs were from 34 and 36 yards) • made three field goals (38, 39 and 42 yards) and three point-after attempts at Purdue and also recorded five touchbacks on six kickoffs • lone field goal attempt at Ohio State was good from 54 yards • made two point-after attempts and had two touchbacks on three kickoffs against Wisconsin • made a 31-yard field goal and recorded six touchbacks on six kickoffs against Bowling Green.

2022 • JUNIOR SEASON: Kicked off 71 times and tied for first in the nation with a 64.6 yards average • recorded 59 touchbacks and ranked third in the nation with an 83.1% touchback success rate. Game-by-Game: Kicked off seven times and recorded seven touchbacks against New Mexico State • kicked off 10 times against Western Illinois and record eight touchbacks • seven of his eight kickoffs against Colorado went for touchbacks • all seven of his kickoffs at Michigan State were touchbacks • kicked off three times against Purdue and notched two touchbacks • kicked off three times at Illinois and recorded two touchbacks • all three kickoffs at Penn State resulted in touchbacks • recorded five touchbacks on six kickoffs against Rutgers • recorded five touchbacks on five kickoffs at Nebraska • kicked off six times and recorded four touchbacks • kicked off three times against Iowa and recorded three touchbacks • kicked off five times and recorded five touchbacks at Wisconsin • kicked off five times against Syracuse and notched one touchback.

2021 • SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in 12 games and served as the team's kickoff specialist • recorded 42 touchbacks on 66 kickoffs (63.6%). Game-by-Game: Kicked off six times and recorded five touchbacks against Ohio State • recorded five touchbacks on six kickoffs against Miami • five of his six kickoffs at Colorado were touchbacks • all three kickoffs against Bowling Green were touchbacks • kicked off five times and recorded four touchbacks at Purdue • notched four touchbacks on five kickoffs against Nebraska • kicked off seven times and recorded six touchbacks against Maryland • kicked off eight times at Northwestern and had two touchbacks • did not play against Illinois • kicked off five times at Iowa and averaged 61.4 yards • four of his five kickoffs at Indiana were touchbacks • kicked off six times and recorded three touchbacks against Wisconsin • kicked off four times and recorded one touchback against West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

2020 • FRESHMAN SEASON: Played in five games • kicked off 24 times and recorded 10 touchbacks. Game-by-Game: Made his Minnesota debut and kicked off seven times at Illinois • kicked off twice against Iowa and six times against Purdue • kicked off five times at Nebraska and four times at Wisconsin.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played at Oak Creek High School in Oak Creek, Wis. • wore No. 99 for the Knights • earned 2019 All-State honors as a kicker and punter • All-Conference and All-Region in 2018 and 2019 • finalist for the Wisconsin Sports Awards Kicker of the Year Award in 2019 • finished high school with 96% of his kickoffs resulting in a touchback • five-star recruit and the No. 7 ranked kicker in the country by Kohl’s Kicking Camp.

PERSONAL: Son of Miroslav and Andjelka • has one sibling (Nikola) • brother, Nikola, played soccer at University of Wisconsin-Parkside and was a two-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion • relative, Milan Lucic, plays in the National Hockey League.