Wilson Named to Ray Guy Award Watch List

DURHAM – Duke graduate student has been selected to the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award, an honor presented to the top punter in the country, displaying leadership, self-discipline and a positive impact on the team's success.

Wilson returns for his fourth year as Duke's starting punter and was selected an All-ACC preseason recipient by Phil Steele's College Football Preview (2nd team) and Athlon Sports (3rd team). In 36 career games (all starts), Wilson has punted 160 times for 6,992 yards (43.70) with 59 boots downed inside the opponent 20-yard line against eight touchbacks.

The Akron, Ohio, native has tallied 41 punts of 50-plus yards throughout his Blue Devil tenure, including a career-long 70-yard punt against Georgia Tech in 2020. He enters the 2023 campaign second on Duke's all-time career chart for punting average and 11th for both punts and punting yards. Additionally, the 6-5, 231-pound punter earned Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week accolades four times in his career.

The 2022 honorable mention All-ACC honoree started in all 13 games last season, punting 46 times for 1,984 yards (43.13). He had 16 kicks downed inside the opponent 20-yard line against three touchbacks and was one of just four punters in the ACC with at least 12 punts of 50-plus yards and at least 15 punts downed inside the 20. Wilson concluded the year ranking ninth in program history for punting average for a single-season. 

The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor the Thompson, Ga., 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 a 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 on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.

On November 10th, the Ray Guy Award committee will announce the ten semifinalists. 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 TheHome Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2023.

Season and single-game tickets as well as mini plans for the 2023 campaign are now available by visiting GoDuke.com/footballtix.

Duke Players on 2023 NCFAA Watch Lists
Maxwell Award:
Outland Trophy:
Bronko Nagurski Trophy:
Ray Guy Award:

OL

6' 5"

Senior

DT

6' 3"

Redshirt Senior

QB

6' 4"

Junior

P

6' 5"

Graduate Student