Auburn football player named to 2023 Ray Guy Award watch list

The Auburn football team is getting ready to turn the page on the previous administration and get going into the Hugh Freeze Era. The season begins for the Tigers on September 2, and there is a lot of work to be done in Fall Camp.

However, while there are many pressing questions and some uncertainty facing the team as they head into the 2023 season, there are some areas with very little concern, one being special teams. This will be the first season in nearly a decade without a Carlson brother as the starting kicker, but the Tigers are in good hands with sophomore Alex McPherson ready to go.

Meanwhile, punter Oscar Chapman will return for his senior year and his third year as the Tigers’ starting punter. Ahead of the season, he has been named to the Ray Guy Award watch list.

About the Ray Guy Award

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, and it is the award given to the best punter in college football each year.

The watch list for this year was created 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.

Nominations for the award will open on August 3, and the complete list of candidates will be announced on November 6. The Augusta Sports Council will then meet to determine the list of 10 semifinalists, which will be revealed on November 10. The top three finalists are announced on November 22, and the winner is announced in December during ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards.

How many Auburn football players have won the award?

No Auburn football players have previously won the Ray Guy Award. However, former punter Steven Clark, who was on the Plains from 2010-2013,was nominated multiple times and was a top three finalist in 2011.