MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State junior punter Nick Walsh was one of 28 candidates nationally, including one of just three from the Big 12, to be named to the Ray Guy Award watch list, the Augusta Sports Council announcedThursday.

 

A native of Lyndon, Kansas, Walsh becomes the second Wildcat to be a two-time candidate for the award, joining Tim Reyer, who was a preseason candidate in 2006 and semifinalist in 2007. Other Big 12 punters on the watch list along with Walsh were Iowa State’s Colin Downing and Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert.

 

Walsh made a big improvement as a sophomore in 2015 when he was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 performer after averaging 41.6 yards per punt with 10 traveling 50 or more yards and 15 landing inside the 20-yard line. He finished third in the Big 12 in average, which was given a boost over the final three games when he averaged 42.6 yards on 17 punts.

 

Semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award will be announced on November 13, while finalists will be revealed on November 24. The winner will be announced as part of The Home Depot College Football Award Show live on ESPN onDecember 8.