The Ray Guy Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top collegiate punter, announced on Friday Indiana football senior James Evans as one of 34 preseason candidates for the award.
The Augusta Sports Council announced its preseason watch list, which uses a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters and was compiled based on the 2023 award semifinalist, top-10 NCAA punters from 2023 and preseason and previous season all-conference and All-America teams.
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 inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage, 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.
With a school-record punting average of 45.8 yards per punt in 2023, Evans blasted past Drew Hagan’s mark of 44.8 in 1999. Of his 57 punts, 22 traveled over 50 yards, with a long punt of 70 yards. His punting average ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 15 nationally.
His net average (accounting for return yardage and touchbacks) ranked No. 27 nationally in 2023 at 41.0 yards per punt. In 2022, he finished No. 3 nationally in punts downed inside the 10-yard line (13) and punts inside the 20-yard line (30).
A three-year anchor on special teams, he owns 201 punts in his career and is just the fifth Hoosier to reach the 200-punt mark in a career. With a career 43.9 yards per punt average, Evans ranks No. 1 on Indiana’s career charts, more than a full yard ahead of Alan Sutkowski (42.5 ypp; 1995-97).
2024 Indiana Football Preseason Watch Lists
James Bomba – AFCA Good Works Team Nominee, Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
James Evans – Ray Guy Awards Preseason Watch List
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