JONESBORO, Ark. – For the second consecutive season, Arkansas State redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Hanson has been named to the Ray Guy Preseason Award Watch List, the Augusta Sports Council announced Wednesday.
Hanson completed his second season at A-State with 68 punt attempts covering 2,995 yards. He ranked third in the Sun Belt with an average of 44.04 yards per punt. He recorded 21 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and also had 17 punts covering at least 50 yards, including a career-long of 73 yards, the longest punt of the 2021 season in the league. He was named Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference, Phil Steele Second Team All-Sun Belt and PFF Second Team All-Sun Belt following the 2021 season. This is the ninth time an A-State punter has appeared on the Ray Guy Preseason Award Watch List, the seventh time since 2014.
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 place on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
Hanson is among 49 initial candidates on the list that incorporates a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. A complete list of candidates will be released on November 2 and in mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 semifinalists to be announced on November 8. A national body of FBS sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on November 18. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December.
Season tickets for the Red Wolves’ 2022 campaign are available for purchase through the A-State Ticket Office, located at First National Bank Arena’s lower red entrance, in person, by phone at 870-972-2781 or online at AStateRedWolves.com.
COURTESY ARKANSAS STATE ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS
