AUGUSTA, Georgia — BYU punter Fuller Shurtz was today named a semifinalist for the 2026 Ray Guy Award by the Augusta Sports Council.
Named in honor of College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy, the award annually honors the nation’s best collegiate FBS punter. The 10 semifinalists were evaluated on their overall statistics with an emphasis on net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20 and percentage of punts not returned.
Shurtz, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior from Katy, Texas, leads a BYU special team group that is currently ranked No. 6 nationally in net punting at 44.4 yards per punt. Over 29 punts in 2026, Shurtz is averaging 43.9 yards per punt and has eight punts of 50-plus yards, with a long of 61.
In addition, Shurtz has downed seven punts inside the opponents 20-yard line and forced 12 fair catches. Shurtz also has zero touchbacks over nine games, tied for the best nationally and in the Big 12.
The three finalists for the Ray Guy Award will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 24. After the finalists are announced, the national voting body of FBS sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will again cast ballots to select the 2026 recipient. The winner of the Ray Guy Award will be announced live during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 11.
2026 Ray Guy Award Semifinalists
| Bailey Ettridge |
Oregon |
Sophomore |
| Max Fletcher |
Cincinnati |
Fifth Year |
| Ethan Hyams |
Wake Forest |
Freshman |
| Will Karoll |
Texas Tech |
Senior |
| Simon McClannan |
Kansas State |
Senior |
| Fuller Shurtz |
BYU |
RS-Junior |
| James Wagenseller |
Army |
Senior |
| Tyler White |
Texas A&M |
Senior |
| Palmer Williams |
Baylor |
Senior |
| Archie Wilson |
Nebraska |
Sophomore |
