AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Augusta Sports Council is pleased to announce the Preseason Watch List for the 2026 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). Headlining the list are 2025 Ray Guy Award Finalists, Evan Crenshaw (Troy) and Palmer Williams (Baylor). They are joined on the list with Dante Atton (Temple), Daniel Hughes (Florida State), Jackson Ross (Tennessee), and Tyler White (Texas A&M) who are past Semifinalists of the Ray Guy Award.
2026 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
Dante Atton, Temple
Oscar Bird, Ole Miss
Grant Chadwick, LSU
John Hoyet Chance, TCU
Alec Clark, Florida
Evan Crenshaw, Troy
Oscar Doyle, Boise State
Bart Edmiston, Wyoming
Hunter Green, Washington
Bryan Hansen, West Virginia
Daniel Hughes, Florida State
Dylan Joyce, Miami
Ashton Logan, Middle Tennessee
Bryce McFerson, Maryland
Grayson Miller, Oklahoma
Ethan Pulliam, Mississippi State
Jackson Ross, Tennessee
Daniel Sparks, Virginia
Pierse Stainton, Miami (Ohio)
Tyler White, Texas A&M
Palmer Williams, Baylor
The candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of FBS punters and were compiled based on previous Ray Guy Award Semifinalists, 2025 All-American, and All-Conference selections, top performing punters, and 2026 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. A final watch list will be announced in early November, and the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists in mid-November.
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 15 - Nomination period begins
October 26 - Nominations close
November 4 - Final watch list announced
November 13 - Semifinalists announced
November 14 - 22 - Voting period to determine finalists
November 24 - Three Finalists announced
November 24 - December 5 - Voting period to select winner
December 11 - The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN
*dates and times subject to change
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) is a non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the Augusta area as a destination for amateur sporting events. The ASC attracts, creates and supports dozens of sporting events and activities each year, generating positive economic impact and enhancing the quality of life for the residents of Augusta's River Region. Visit www.augustasportscouncil.org to learn more.
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 nearly 1,000 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a three-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award's preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2026 preseason watch list calendar:
Mon., Aug. 17: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 18: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 19: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 20: Davey O’Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 21: Bednarik Award
For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA and Instagram at @TheNCFAA.
