The Augusta Sports Council announced Thursday its semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award as annually awarded to the top collegiate punter in the nation.
Arkansas State’s Cody Grace was named as a semifinalist for the second consecutive year and Georgia State’s Brandon Wright made history as the first Panther to be a semifinalist for any of the major college football awards.
Grace, Wright and the other eight semifinalists were chosen from a field of 82 nominated candidates who were evaluated by the Ray Guy Award committee on their overall statistics and contribution to their teams. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on their team’s success.
The only player in school history to be named a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, Grace has posted only one touchback in 96 punts during his two-year career with A-State, and the Red Wolves’ opponents have attempted just 12 returns (13 percent). He has played a big part in the team ranking No. 2 in the nation each of the last two seasons in punt return defense.
The Perth, Western Australia, native has attempted 47 punts this season for 1,904 yards, compiling a 40.5 gross average and 40.4 net average. He has posted only one touchback and recorded 19 punts inside the 20-yard line. A-State’s opponents have returned just eight punts for -15 yards.
Wright ranks third in the nation in both gross and net punting, averaging 48.6 yards per punt with a net of 43.12. He is on pace to break the Sun Belt Conference record for season punting average.
Twenty-one of his 41 punts have travelled 50-plus yards, including a long of 68 yards last week vs. Louisiana, and he has 18 punts inside the 20-yard line with only three touchbacks.
Wright's career average of 43.57 yards on 129 punts is a school record and ranks eighth among all active FBS punters.
A former walk-on who earned a scholarship prior to the 2018 season, Wright is one of just four FBS kickers to handle all three phases: punting, placekicking and kickoffs.
A national voting body of FBS sports information directors, national media and previous Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists who will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 1:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU. The Ray Guy Award will provide one additional vote as determined by football fans. The Fan Vote is located on the Ray Guy Award web site (RayGuyAward.com).
Voters will then vote again to determine the winner, who will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 6, at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN in Atlanta, Ga.