AUGUSTA, Ga. — UTSA senior Lucas Dean has earned a spot on the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list, the Augusta Sports Council announced on Wednesday.
Dean is one of 49 players — including one of five from Conference USA — on the watch list for the Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter. This marks the third consecutive year he has landed on the watch list.
A native of Dunsborough, Australia, Dean enters his fourth season with the Roadrunners as the program record holder with a career punting average of 43.8 yards. The two-time all-conference selection was the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year, a second-team All-American by the Sporting News and a fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele in 2020.
Last season, Dean punted 47 times for a 45.2 average with 21 punts inside the 20-yard line and 10 of 50-plus yards, including a school record 73-yarder in the 34-31 win over UAB. He induced 12 fair catches and only saw three punts result in a touchback in 2021 en route to second-team all-league accolades.
Dean established UTSA's single-season standard for punting average in 2020 with a 46.0 mark on 57 punts. He registered 27 punts that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line — including 15 inside the 10 and seven inside the 5 — and he recorded 21 punts of 50-plus yards on his way to being named first-team all-conference and to the Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine All-Texas College First Team.
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. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
UTSA will open its 12th season of play and third under 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year Jeff Traylor on Sept. 3 against Houston. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome in a game that will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Tickets are on sale now by calling or texting 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com.
2022 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
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