09/02/10- Will Hagerup, Fr, Michigan, 6-4, 215 PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Will Hagerup - When four-year starter Zoltan Mesko took his degree and moved on to the NFL last spring, a big void opened in the UM special teams, so head coach Rich Rodriguez went out and got Hagerup, one of the top five punters in the nation. Michigan beat out Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio State to land Hagerup.
09/01/10- John Gold, rSr, Texas, 6-3, 205 Punter John Gold and defensive tackle Tyrell Higgins have been placed on scholarship. The move for Higgins, a former scholarship player who left the program in 2008, was well-received by his teammates.
09/01/10- Aaron Bates, Sr, Michigan State, 6-0, 198 For the first time in its 114-year history, Michigan State football has a punter for a captain. Senior Aaron Bates joined QB Kirk Cousins and LB Greg Jones when the players and coaches voted last week. The fourth captain will rotate each game. Bates was so emotional about being picked, he broke down when he got up to address the team after the vote.
09/01/10- Anthony Fera, rFr, Penn State, 6-2, 212 PLAYERS TO WATCH: P Anthony Fera - Youngstown State's defense isn't likely to force many three-and-outs against Penn State, but many eyes will be on the debut performance of Fera, a redshirt sophomore who is charged with the difficult task of replacing all-conference punter Jeremy Boone. The 6-foot-2 Fera will need to prove that his right leg can be as consistent as it is powerful.
08/28/10- Derek Epperson, Sr, Baylor, 6-3, 236 2010 LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE: Derek Epperson Punter Baylor University, has been selected one of thirty NCAA football bowl subdivision student-athletes who excel both on and off the field named a candidate for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in football. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. - Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
08/27/10- Spencer Lanning, rSr, South Carolina, 5-11, 188 2010 PRESEASON LOU GROZA AWARD WATCH LIST: Spencer Lanning, South Carolina, Sr...A 2009 semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award, Spencer Lanning led his team in scoring during the 2009 season with 79 points, the seventh highest in school history. Lanning tied a 19 year old school record by completing 5 of 5 field goals at Georgia. He hit 17 of 20 field goals in 2009 with a long of 47 yards. - Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
08/27/10- Stefan Demos, rSr, Northwestern, 5-09, 190 2010 PRESEASON LOU GROZA AWARD WATCH LIST: Stefan Demos, Northwestern, Sr., a second team All Big Ten selection and a Lou Groza Award semi-finalist in 2009, Demos handled all of NU's punting, place kicking and kickoff duties. Named First team All Big Ten selection by Sporting News and Phil Steele. - Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award
08/19/10- Matt Reinhart, Jr, Kent State, 5-09, 171 Punter Matt Rinehart returns for his junior year after earning first-team all-conference honors in 2009, averaging 40.9 yards on 74 punts. He's just the second Kent State punter to earn first-team honors in the 58 years of the MAC. Rinehart was also a first-team academic all-conference selection.
08/19/10- Matt Darr, Fr, Tennessee, 6-2, 215 P Matt Darr will not be a Fresno State Bulldog after all. After originally committing to USC, Darr -- the No. 1 ranked high school punter -- chose Fresno State after Pete Carroll's departure from the Trojans. During the summer, however, Darr told Fresno State coach Pat Hill that he did not feel comfortable with the Bulldogs. He will instead attend Tennessee. He will be eligible this fall. Darr likely would have been the starter at punter this fall for Fresno State. Instead, sophomore Andrew Shapiro, freshman Matt Williams and junior kicker Kevin Goessling will compete for the job.
08/18/10- Rob Long, Sr, Syracuse, 6-2, 190 Senior punter Rob Long got a special kick out of the Big East's annual football media day. Long was the only special-teams player among the 24 stars representing eight conference teams. "It would have been cool to run into some other kickers," he said, "but it's an honor to be here anyway." QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's one of those things you have to take with a grain of salt. It's a preseason poll, it's not any preset destination for the team." - P Rob Long, on the low Big East projections for Syracuse.
08/17/10- Stefan Demos, rSr, Northwestern, 5-09, 190 Kicker Stefan Demos doesn't have to pull double-duty anymore. Demos, last year's second-team all-Big Ten kicker who's a placement guy by trade, served as the Wildcats' punter the last three years because there was nobody else to do it. Now Northwestern believes redshirt freshman walk-on Brandon Williams is ready to take over at punter, which means Demos can concentrate on field goals, extra points and kickoffs.
08/12/10- Rob Long, Sr, Syracuse, 6-2, 190 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Rob Long (Sr.) Syracuse, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/12/10- Jeff Locke, rSo, UCLA, 6-1, 208 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Jeff Locke (So.), UCLA, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/12/10- Chas Henry, Sr, Florida, 6-3, 220 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Chas Henry (Jr.) Florida, Junior, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/12/10- Johnny Hekker, Jr, Oregon State, 6-5, 223 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Johnny Hekker (Jr.) Oregon State, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/12/10- Ryan Donahue, rSr, Iowa, 6-2, 190 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Ryan Donahue, (Sr.) Iowa, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/12/10- Peter Caldwell, Sr, Utah State, 6-4, 228 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Peter Caldwell (Sr.) Utah State, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/12/10- Drew Butler, rJr, Georgia, 6-2, 205 2010 RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Drew Butler (Jr.) Georgia, has been selected to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. - The Augusta Sports Council
08/11/10- Kevin Jones, rSr, Duke, 6-2, 200 P Kevin Jones enters his final season as the ACC's active leader in punts and punting average. He has punted 200 times for an average of 38.45 yards per attempt.
08/04/10- Austin Turner, Jr, Fayetteville State, 6-0, 247 2010 PRESEASON ALL-CIAA FOOTBALL TEAM (COACHES): P Austin Turner FSU JR 6’2 215 History San Diego, CA, has been selected Preseason All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association for the 2010 college football season as selected by the CIAA coaches. - CIAA football
08/02/10- Austin Turner, Jr, Fayetteville State, 6-0, 247 2010 PRESEASON ALL-CIAA FOOTBALL TEAM (COACHES): K Austin Turner FSU JR 6’2 215 History San Diego, CA, has been selected Preseason All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association for the 2010 college football season as selected by the CIAA coaches. - CIAA football
08/02/10- David Miller, rSr, William & Mary, 6-0, 185 2010 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM (COACHES/MEDIA): Punter David Miller Senior 6-0 183 William and Mary, has been selected Preseason All-CAA for the 2010 college football season as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches and media relations personnel. One of the country’s top punters and a two-time all-conference selection, Miller will enter his final campaign looking to punctuate an outstanding collegiate career. Miller garnered first-team all-league honors in 2009 after ranking 21st nationally with 40.5 yards per punt. Eleven of Miller’s punts went longer than 50 yards, while he pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 15 times. - William and Mary football
08/02/10- Marc Ray, rSo, VMI, 6-1, 190 2010 PRESEASON ALL-BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE (COACHES/MEDIA): P - Marc Ray, VMI, R-Soph. (Greenville, Va.), has been selected Preseason All-Big South Conference for the 2010 college football season as selected by the League's head football coaches and media panel. Ray comes off a year where he was named All-Conference First Team, the only returning Keydet to earn those laurels. He was the first VMI punter to be named First Team All-Conference since 2002, and led the Big South in punting average at 38.9 yards per punt. That total included four punts of over 50 yards. - VMI football
08/01/10- Augie Heath, Jr, Sacramento State, 5-11, 185 2010 PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE (MEDIA): P Augie Heath Jr. Chico, Calif. Sacramento State, has been selected Preseason All-Big Sky Conference for the 2010 college football season as selected by a panel of media and sports information directors. Heath was a second team all-Big Sky selection in 2009 and was twice named the conference's special teams player of the week. During the season, he averaged 39.0 yards per punt and was able to down 15 of his 53 attempts inside the 20-yard line. - Sacramento State football
08/01/10- Brian Stahovich, Jr, San Diego State, 6-0, 195 2010 PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL TEAM (MEDIA): P Brian Stahovich Jr. San Diego State, has been selected Preseason All-Mountain West Conference for the 2010 college football season as selected by the MWC media. Despite playing his home games at sea level, Stahovich was one of the nation's top punters a year ago as a sopohomore. In 2009, he averaged 43.8 yards per kick and had 13 of his boots downed inside the 20. He was 13th in the country a year ago in punting average. - San Diego State football