AUGUSTA, Georgia — The Augusta Sports Council today announced BYU punter Ryan Rehkow has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate punter.
Rehkow, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior from Veradale, Washington, has now been named to the Ray Guy Award watch list for the third consecutive year. He was recently selected to the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team after finishing the 2022 season with a punting average at 46.2.
At the conclusion of the last season, Rehkow was named to the 2022 Associated Press All-Bowl Team and the College Football Network All-Independent First Team. The previous year he was selected the 2021 Pro Football Network Independent Punter of the Year and was also named to the PFN All-Independent First Team as well as the Phil Steele All-Independent First Team. Rehkow was a Ray’s 8 honoree in week five of the 2021 season for his performance at Utah State.
As a finance major with a 3.74 GPA, Rehkow was named CSC Academic All-District in 2023 and was selected CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First Team in 2022.
The 2023 Ray Guy Award preseason watch list includes 50 candidates selected from the 2022 Ray Guy Award Semifinalist List, the top-10 NCAA Punters from 2022, the 2022 All-Conference teams, the 2022 All-American teams, the 2023 pre-season All-Conference teams and eligible punters on the 2022 watchlist.
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 is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 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.
In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 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 2023 Ray Guy Award winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2023.
Ray Guy Award Watch List
| Aaron Rodriguez | New Mexico |
| Alex Mastromanno | Florida State |
| Austin McNamara | Texas Tech |
| Ben Kiernan | North Carolina |
| Brett Thorson | Georgia |
| Brian Buschini | Nebraska |
| Clayton Stewart | Wyoming |
| Colton Spangler, | Maryland |
| Daniel Sparks | Virginia |
| Daton Montiel | FIU |
| Dom Dzioban | Miami (OH) |
| Eddie Czaplicki | USC |
| Ethan Duane | Old Dominion |
| Ivan Mora | Wake Forest |
| Jack Ansell | Purdue |
| Jack Browning | San Diego State |
| James Evans | Indiana |
| Jay Bramblett | LSU |
| Jeremy Crawshaw | Florida |
| Jesse Mirco | Ohio State |
| Jordy Sandy, | TCU |
| Joshua Sloan | UTEP |
| Kai Kroeger | South Carolina |
| Kyle Ostendorp | Arizona |
| Lachlan Wilson | Cal |
| Laine Wilkins | Houston |
| Lucas Borrow | Ball State |
| Lucas Dean | UTSA |
| Luke Elzinga | Oklahoma |
| Mark Vassett | Colorado |
| Mason Fletcher | Cincinnati |
| Matthew Hayball | Vanderbilt |
| Max Von Marburg | Syracuse |
| Mitchell Tomasek | Eastern Michigan |
| Nick Haberer | Washington State |
| Nik Constantinou | Texas A&M |
| Oliver Straw | West Virginia |
| Oscar Chapman | Auburn |
| Peter Moore | Virginia Tech |
| Porter Wilson | Duke |
| Riley Riethman | Navy |
| Ryan Bujcevski | SMU |
| Ryan Hanson | James Madison |
| Ryan Rehkow | BYU |
| Ryan Sanborn | Texas |
| Seamus O'Kelly | Texas State |
| Stephen Kotsanlee | Utah State |
| Tory Taylor | Iowa |
| Tyler Perkins | Iowa State |