Virginia Kicker Will Bettridge Awarded Prestigious 2025 Jim Tatum Award
The University of Virginia kicker, Will Bettridge, has been recognized as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top senior student-athlete, earning the 2025 Jim Tatum Award, as announced by the conference on December 1st. This marks the ninth time a Cavalier has received the honor, and the first since Jordan Mack was recognized in 2019.
The jim Tatum Award is presented annually to honor the legacy of the late Jim Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year who led teams at Maryland and North Carolina in the 1950s.Tatum was a staunch advocate for the “student-athlete” concept, emphasizing the importance of academic achievement alongside athletic prowess.
Bettridge’s achievement comes on the heels of a prosperous season for the Virginia Cavaliers, who secured a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a decisive 27-7 victory over Virginia Tech this past Saturday. The Cavaliers are set to face Duke at Bank of America Stadium this Saturday, December 6th, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m.
Beyond his athletic contributions, bettridge excels academically as a Foreign Affairs major with a minor in Entrepreneurship, and is on track to graduate this spring. He was previously nominated for the William V. Campbell Trophy and has been a three-time member of the ACC All-Academic Team. Last season, he earned his first College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Football distinction and was also nominated for both the Wuerffel Trophy and the All-State Good Works Team in 2024.
On the field, Bettridge has proven to be a reliable force, converting 20 of 24 field goal attempts and maintaining a perfect record of 46-for-46 on extra point tries this season. Currently, he ranks third in the ACC in scoring with 8.8 points per game and 11th nationally with a total of 106 points. His performance in the season finale against Virginia Tech, where he scored nine points (2-2 on field goals and 3-3 on extra points), propelled him into sole possession of third place on UVA’s all-time scoring list with 302 career points – just 10 points behind Wali Lundy’s record of 312.
Virginia All-Time Jim Tatum Award Winners
- 1993 – Tom Burns
- 1997 – Stephen Phelan
- 1999 – Noel LaMontagne
- 2007 – Tom Santi
- 2019 – jordan Mack
- 2025 – Will Bettridge
Bettridge’s success embodies the spirit of the Jim Tatum Award, recognizing a student-athlete who excels both on and off the field, and continues a proud tradition of academic and athletic achievement at the University of Virginia.
Clarification of Changes & How Questions are Answered:
* Why: Will Bettridge was awarded the Jim Tatum Award for excelling both academically and athletically, embodying the spirit of the award’s namesake, Jim Tatum, who championed the “student-athlete” concept.
* Who: Will Bettridge, a kicker for the University of Virginia, is the recipient. The award is presented by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Jim Tatum, the award’s namesake, was a former ACC coach.
* What: The Jim Tatum Award recognizes the
