LAKE BLUFF, Illinois — BYU senior Garrison Grimes was today named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2025 Patrick Mannelly Award, presented annually to the top long snapper in college football.
The 6-2, 220-pound redshirt senior from American Fork, Utah, has appeared in all 10 games for the No. 11 ranked Cougars. Grimes is the first BYU long snapper to be named a semifinalist for the Mannelly Award in the award’s seven-year existence and the only Big 12 long snapper to earn the accolade in 2025.
Grimes has played a big role in BYU’s kicking and punting success throughout the season. He has been perfect on a combined 61 field goal and PAT snaps as well as 30 punt attempts for the Cougars during the 2025 season.
The excellence of Grimes' play has helped senior kicker Will Ferrin lead the Big 12 in scoring with 93 points through 10 games. The preseason All-American placekicker has converted 18-of-22 field goal attempts, including three over 50 yards, and was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week on Nov. 17. Ferrin is perfect on the year in point-after attempts, converting on 39 of 39 to extend his BYU-record streak of consecutive PATs made to 110.
BYU punter Sam Vander Haar has also been the beneficiary of Grimes' efficient snapping. The junior punter has twice been named a Ray Guy Award Ray’s 8 honoree during the 2025 season. Grimes has set Vander Haar up for a 43.1 average with 11 punts downed inside the opponents 20-yard line and 15 fair caught while helping the Cougars rank No. 25 in net punting.
Prior to coming to BYU, Grimes appeared in 31 games as the long snapper at Baylor from 2020-22, where he handled snapping duties for punts, field goals and PATs, while tallying two tackles on special teams. In 2023, Grimes recovered two fumbles in the same game against Texas. Garrison is the son of Jeff Grimes, former BYU offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and current offensive coordinator at Wisconsin.
Named after Patrick Mannelly Award, the award was created in 2019 to honor the top long snapper in college football. Widely known as one of the premier long snappers in the modern NFL era, Mannelly was a four-year starter at Duke before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He went on to become the Bears career leader in games played with 245 over 16 seasons and was the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.
The recipient of the Patrick Mannelly Award is determined annually by a committee comprised of former NFL long snappers, punters, kickers, special team coaches, snapping instructors and sportswriters. The Award benefits Bernie’s Book Bank, a non-profit organization located in Lake Bluff, Illinois.
Three finalists for the 2025 Patrick Mannelly Award will be announced on Nov. 24, with the winner announced at a live award ceremony in Lake Bluff, Illinois, Saturday, Dec. 13.