Straw Selected to the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List

West Virginia University punter Oliver Straw is nominated for the Ray Guy Award

Oct 22, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers punter Oliver Straw (41) punts against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. / Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Friday afternoon, West Virginia University punter Ray Guy was named to the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list.

Straw punted 43 punts last season and averaged 43.1 yards per punt, with a long of 61 yards.

The Melbourne Australia native had 19 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, had eight punts of 50 yards or more, and 21 punts results in a fair catch.

The Ray Guy Award - named for football's premier punter - honors the nation's best collegiate punter. The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) created the award in 2000. Along with other awards such as the Heisman Trophy and the Doak Walker Award, the Ray Guy Award honors an important member of any football team

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 6. In mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semifinalists, who will be announced on November 15. 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 26. 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 2024.

2024 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List

Aaron Rodriguez - New Mexico

Alec Bevelhimer - Miami (OH)

Alex Mastromanno - Florida State

Brett Thorson - Georgia

Brian Buschini - Nebraska

Daniel Sparks - Virginia

Daton Montiel - FIU

Eddie Czaplicki - USC

Ivan Mora - Wake Forest

Jack Bouwmeester - Utah

Jack Dawson - Jax State

James Burnip - Alabama

James Evans - Indiana

James Ferguson-Reynolds - Boise State

Jesse Mirco - Vanderbilt

Kai Kroeger - South Carolina

Lachlan Wilson - California

Lucas Borrow - Ball State

Luke Elzinga - Oklahoma

Mark Vassett - Colorado

Marshall Nichols - UNLV

Mason Fletcher - Cincinnati

Mitchell Tomasek - Eastern Michigan

Nick Haberer - Washington State

Oliver Straw - West Virginia

Oscar Chapman - Auburn

Peter Moore - Virginia Tech

Riley Riethman - Navy

Riley Thompson - Penn State

Ryan Eckley - Michigan State

Ryan Hanson - James Madison

Stephen Kotsanlee - Utah State

Tyler Perkins - Iowa State