Augusta Sports Council Announces the 2025 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List

August 2, 2025 by Augusta Sports Council and CFPoll.com staff

Augusta, GA (August 1, 2025) - The Augusta Sports Council is pleased to announce the Preseason Watch List for the 2025 Ray Guy Award. Named for football's premier punter, the Ray Guy Award honors the nation's top collegiate punter in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a voting member for the Ray Guy Award.

2025 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List

Atticus Bertrams, Wisconsin 
Alex Smith, Georgia Southern 
Brett Thorson, Georgia 
Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky 
Devin Bale, Arkansas 
Jack Bouwmeester, Texas 
Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse 
Jacob Ulrich, Oklahoma
John Henderson, Bowling Green 
Logan Lupo, Florida Atlantic 
Luke Freer, Air Force 
Palmer Williams, Baylor
Rhys Dakin, Iowa 
Ryan Eckley, Michigan State
Tyler White, Texas A&M

The candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of FBS punters and were compiled based on the 2024 Ray Guy Award Semifinalists, 2024 All-American, and All-Conference selections, top performing punters, and 2025 Preseason All-American, and Preseason All-Conference selections.

This is not a final list as the winner of the Ray Guy Award does not need to appear on the preseason watch list. The number of eligible candidates for the award will grow when the award opens nominations, and candidates will be added to the watch list throughout the season. The complete list of candidates will be released on November 5, and in mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists.

A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision sports information directors, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists to be announced in late November. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December.

Ray Guy Award Timeline
August 2 - Nomination period begins
October 27 - Nominations close
November 5 - Final watch list announced
November 14 - Semifinalists announced
November 15 - 23 - Voting period to determine finalists
November 25 - Three Finalists announced 
November 25 - December 5 - Voting period to select winner
December 12 - The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN

About the Ray Guy Award

The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner are net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line, and percentage of punts not returned, with particular emphasis placed on net average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team's success.

About the Augusta Sports Council

The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) supports the many facets of local, national, and international sporting events that contribute to our community’s quality of life and economic development. To learn more, visit www.augustasportscouncil.org.

About the NCFAA

The Ray Guy Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA for more information.

Past Ray Guy Award Winners

2024 - Eddie Czaplicki, USC
2023 - Tory Taylor, Iowa
2022 - Adam Korsak, Rutgers
2021 - Matt Araiza, San Diego State
2020 - Pressley Harvin III, Georgia Tech
2019 - Max Duffy, Kentucky
2018 - Braden Mann, Texas A&M
2017 - Michael Dickson, Texas
2016 - Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah
2015 - Tom Hackett, Utah
2014 - Tom Hackett, Utah
2013 - Tom Hornsey, Memphis
2012 - Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech
2011 - Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech
2010 - Chas Henry, Florida
2009 - Drew Butler, Georgia
2008 - Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State
2007 - Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech
2006 - Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
2005 - Ryan Plackemeier, Wake Forest
2004 - Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
2003 - B.J. Sander, Ohio State
2002 - Mark Mariscal, Colorado
2001 - Travis Dorsch, Purdue
2000 - Kevin Sternke, Wisconsin