McNamara named to Ray Guy Award watch list
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Texas Tech senior punter Austin McNamara was named on Wednesday to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Ray Gay Award, the Augusta Sports Council announced. The annual award honors the nation’s top collegiate punter in the FBS.
One of the premier punters in college football, McNamara’s inclusion to the 2023 watch list represents his fourth-straight preseason recognized by the organization. He is one of 50 candidates named to the 2023 edition of the Ray Guy Award watch list.
McNamara enters the 2023 season ranked third among FBS active punters for career average as his 45.8 clip trails only Ryan Rehkow of BYU (46.8) and Kyle Ostendorp of Arizona (46.3) – who are both on the 2023 Ray Guy Award watch list as well. McNamara closed the 2022 season tied for fifth on the FBS active leaders chart (min. 100 career punts).
McNamara is a four-time All-Big 12 selection, earning first-team accolades after the 2019-20 seasons and then second-team and honorable mention honors each of the past two years.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on Aug. 3. The complete list of candidates will be released on Nov. 6. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on Nov. 10. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on Nov. 22. 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 2023.
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, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting 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) enriches the quality of life and economic well-being of the Augusta metropolitan area by supporting and attracting sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.augustasportscouncil.org.
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Release provided by MATT BURKHOLDER Texas Tech Athletics