Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Scott W. Grau
Matt Naranjo Named to the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
July 28, 2021 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, OHIO – Bowling Green football student-athlete Matt Naranjo has been named to the Ray Guy Ward Preseason Watch List. The Augusta Sports Council has announced the preseason watch list, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter. Naranjo is one of six punters from the MAC to be named to the preseason list.
Naranjo (Sr., Skokie, Ill.) has a career punting average of 40.4 yards per punt. The three-time MAC All-Academic team honoree was a Campbell Trophy semifinalist in 2020 after averaging 39.3 yards per punt with five of his 19 punts being downed inside the 20-yard line, while another four went for 50+ yards.
The 51 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. The 2021 watch list was compiled based on the 2020 Ray Guy Award semifinalist list, the top ten NCAA Punters from 2020, the 2020 All-Conference teams, the 2020 All-American teams, the 2021 pre-season all-conference teams and punters on the 2020 watchlist.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on July 29. The complete list of candidates will be released on Nov. 2nd. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 10th. 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 November 23. 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 on Thurs., Dec. 9, 2021.
Naranjo (Sr., Skokie, Ill.) has a career punting average of 40.4 yards per punt. The three-time MAC All-Academic team honoree was a Campbell Trophy semifinalist in 2020 after averaging 39.3 yards per punt with five of his 19 punts being downed inside the 20-yard line, while another four went for 50+ yards.
The 51 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. The 2021 watch list was compiled based on the 2020 Ray Guy Award semifinalist list, the top ten NCAA Punters from 2020, the 2020 All-Conference teams, the 2020 All-American teams, the 2021 pre-season all-conference teams and punters on the 2020 watchlist.
The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on July 29. The complete list of candidates will be released on Nov. 2nd. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 10th. 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 November 23. 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 on Thurs., Dec. 9, 2021.
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