Aaron Rodriguez Named to Preseason Ray Guy Award Watch List

Augusta, Ga. – The Augusta Sports Council announced its preseason watch list for the 2023 Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate punter in the FBS, and Lobo senior punter Aaron Rodriguez leads the list, and it’s not just because its listed alphabetically by first name.

The 50 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) punters. The 2023 watch list was compiled based on the 2022 Ray Guy Award Semifinalist List, the top ten 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.

Rodriguez was a three-time “Ray’s Eight” winner in 2022, a season in which he led the nation in total punts over the course of the regular season. He averages 44.2 yards per boot on 81 punts, moving him into third on the career average list at UNM with a 43.5-yard mark.  He had a long of 63 yards, banging 23 punts of 50 yards or more and forcing 35 fair catches with 24 punts inside the 20.  Rodriguez averaged at least 42.5 yards per punt in nine of his 12 games and had two games where he averaged over 50 yards per punt.  His best game of the season was against Boise State, averaging 50.9 yards per punt on 10 punts with seven punts of 50 yards or more in that game.

Rodriguez, who is also the teams’ holder, was a Second Team All-MW pick in 2022.  A senior, he could return to the squad next year for his super senior COVID season as well.

The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations on August 3. The complete list of candidates will be released on November 6th. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 10th. 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 November 22nd. 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 2023.

2023 Preseason Watchlist
Aaron Rodriguez, New Mexico
Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
Austin McNamara, Texas Tech
Ben Kiernan, University of 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