Gage Hurych, a West Linn High School graduate who played safety, wide receiver and kicker for the Lions' state-championship teams, has won the starting kicker job at the University of Oregon entering the 2026 season.

Hurych, now a redshirt sophomore, spent two seasons backing up Atticus Sappington before Oregon special teams coordinator Joe Lorig named him the starter. Teammates have been calling him "Iceman" since his first week on campus because of his composure under pressure, OregonLive reported Wednesday, Aug. 12.

"He never really gets too high, he never really gets too low," Lorig told OregonLive. "He's just always the same, whether it's a missed kick or a made kick. And that mental piece is the hardest."

That calm wasn't always there. On Nov. 30, 2024, Hurych made his collegiate debut in Oregon's blowout win over Washington. Lorig told him he'd attempt the final extra point. Hurych said he nearly blacked out from nerves and didn't know if the kick was good until he watched the replay. It was.

By 2025, Hurych had settled in. He appeared in nine games, going 16-for-16 on extra points and averaging 64.3 yards on 30 kickoffs, though he missed his lone field goal attempt, according to his GoDucks roster page.

Hurych arrived at Oregon as a highly rated recruit out of West Linn, where he played for then-head coach Jon Eagle's program that went 45-4 over four seasons with state championships in 2022 and 2024. As a junior in 2022, Hurych recorded touchbacks on 88 percent of his kickoffs, made eight field goals and converted a 35-yarder in the state playoffs. Chris Sailer Kicking rated him a five-star prospect and the No. 31 kicker nationally; 247Sports ranked him the No. 13 kicker in the country.

Lorig said he deliberately recruited Hurych from the Pacific Northwest, prizing his exceptional athleticism. Beyond kicking, Hurych played safety and wide receiver for the Lions and turned down multiple Division I lacrosse offers.

The stakes ahead are significant. Oregon opens its 2026 season against Boise State at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 12:30 p.m. on CBS. The Ducks' schedule includes a road game at USC on Saturday, Sept. 26, and a trip to Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 7, two environments where a kicker's nerves will be tested.

Hurych said he has the leg to hit from beyond 50 yards. In practice, he's built a reputation for nailing clutch kicks when consequences are real. If he misses, the entire team runs.

West Linn's own 2026 football season kicks off Friday, Sept. 4, against Central Catholic at Pioneer Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m.