Bryce McFerson Named to 2026 Ray Guy Watch List
8/14/2026 10:21:00 AM | Football
AUGUSTA, GA -- Maryland redshirt senior punter Bryce McFerson has been named to the 2026 Ray Guy Award Watch List, as announced by the Augusta Sports Council on Friday. The award recognizes the top punter in college football.
McFerson, a 6-foot-2, 181-pound standout from Indian Trail, North Carolina, enters the 2026 season following a stellar 2025 campaign.
A Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2025, McFerson turned in one of the most productive seasons in recent Maryland history. He finished the regular season second in the Big Ten with a 44.2-yard punting average. McFerson's average ranked as the sixth-best single-season mark in program history. He recorded 14 punts of 50-plus yards, the second-most in the Big Ten, and placed 19 punts inside the 20-yard line, the fourth-most in the conference.
A graduate of Metrolina Christian Academy and a three-time Ray Guy Award Ray's 8 selection, McFerson enters the 2026 season with the best career punting average in program history.
A final watch list will be announced in early November, and the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select 10 semifinalists in mid-November.
A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists, who will be announced in late November. 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.
