Kickers and punters are football players, too, and thus get their own preseason recognition along with everybody else.
Both the Lou Groza and Ray Guy Awards released their watch lists Wednesday morning, with the former including kickers and the latter 27 punters. Headlining both groups is Utah’s Matt Gay, who won the 2017 Lou Groza Award and is looking to join Florida State’s Sebastian Janikowski (1998-99) as the only two-time winner of the kicking trophy.
One other finalist for the 2017 Groza Award is included in this year’s watch list -- Utah State’s Dominik Eberle.
On the Ray Guy side of the watch list ledger, Utah’s Mitch Wishnowsky is the lone returning finalist for the 2017 award claimed by Michael Dickson of Texas. Three other 2017 semifinalists are listed -- Ohio State’s Drue Chrisman, Missouri’s Corey Fatony and Arkansas State’s Cody Grace.
LOU GROZA AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Florida State junior Ricky Aguayo
Oklahoma State junior Matt Ammendola
San Diego State senior John Baron II
Georgia Southern junior Tyler Bass
Georgia junior Rodrigo Blankenship
FIU sophomore Jose Borregales
Colorado State senior Wyatt Bryan
Minnesota senior Emmit Carpenter
Mississippi State sophomore Jace Christmann
San Jose State senior Bryce Crawford
Louisville junior Blanton Creque
Utah State junior Dominik Eberle
Wisconsin senior Rafael Gaglianone
Utah senior Matt Gay
Clemson senior Greg Huegel
Texas A&M senior Daniel LaCamera
Baylor junior Connor Martin
Missouri junior Tucker McCann
UCLA junior JJ Molson
Michigan junior Quinn Nordin
UNLV senior Evan Pantels
Arizona State sophomore Brandon Ruiz
UTSA sophomore Jared Sackett
Oklahoma senior Austin Seibert
Southern Miss senior Parker Shaunfield
Colorado sophomore James Stefanou
Stanford junior Jet Toner
Toledo senior Jameson Vest
Notre Dame senior Justin Yoon
Ohio junior Louie Zervos
RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Adam Nunez, TCU
A.J. Cole III, NC State
Alex Kinney, Colorado
Anthony Lotti, Wisconsin
Austin Seibert, Oklahoma
Bailey Cate, Old Dominion
Blake Gillikin, Penn State
Caleb Lightbourn, Nebraska
Cody Grace, Arkansas State
Corey Fatony, Missouri
Corliss Waitman, South Alabama
Dane Roy, Houston
Derek Adams, Kent State
Drue Chrisman, Ohio State
Jake Bailey, Stanford
Jake Hartbarger, Michigan State
Jamie Sackville, SMU
Joe Schopper, Purdue
Logan Tyler, Florida State
Matt Bonadies, Middle Tennessee
Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah
Oscar Bradburn, Virginia Tech
Pressley Harvin III, Georgia Tech
Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado State
Stefan Flintoft, UCLA
Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse
Wade Lees, Maryland