[BAYLOR FOOTBALL] Palmer Williams Lands on Ray Guy Award Watch List

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Aug. 1, 2025

Baylor Football’s Palmer Williams Lands on Ray Guy Award Watch List
Award presented to the nation’s top collegiate punter
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu> or Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, Brent_Ingram at Baylor.edu<mailto:Brent_Ingram at Baylor.edu> or Matt Roberts; 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu>

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Baylor football punter Palmer Williams has been named to the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list, as announced Friday by the Augusta Sports Council.

The award honors the nation’s top collegiate punter. Williams is one of just 15 punters, and the only representative from the Big 12, nominated on this year’s preseason watch list.

A native of Advance, N.C., Williams had the best punting season in college football, and the best in Baylor history, in 2024, his second year in the starting role. He averaged 49.35 yards per punt on 43 punts, which led the nation among those who punted at least 2.5 times per game last season. His average marked the best in BU single-season history and his career mark of 46.53 yards per punt would rank tops in program history as well.

Williams had 28 punts of at least 50 yards last season. Fifteen of his 43 punts were downed inside the 20, while six were fair caught. Williams helped BU rank No. 8 in the NCAA in net punting average, highlighted by a monster game at Utah in Week Two of the season in which he punted six times for an average of 62.7 yards per punt, with a long of 79 yards and two kicks downed inside the 20.

Candidates on this year’s watch list incorporate a broad spectrum of FBS punters and were compiled based on the 2024 Ray Guy Award semifinalists, 2024 All-America and all-conference selections, top performing punters and 2025 Preseason All-America and all-conference selections.

A complete list of candidates will be released on November 5, then later in mid-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select 10 semifinalists. A national body of FBS sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists to be announced in late November. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN in December 2025.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor football, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.

BAYLOR FOOTBALL 2025 PRESEASON HONORS
Omar Aigbedion, OG
Outland Trophy Watch List
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)

Travion Barnes, LB
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Josh Cameron, WR/PR
Paul Hornung Award Watch List
Preseason First-Team All-America, PR (Athlon)
Preseason All-Big 12, PR/KR (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Texas, WR (DCTF)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12, WR (Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12, WR (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12, PR (Phil Steele)

Sidney Fugar, OL
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)

Caden Jenkins, CB
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Ryan Lengyel, OL
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Jackie Marshall, DL
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)

Coleton Price, OL
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon)

Sawyer Robertson, QB
Maxwell Award Watch List
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
Preseason Second-Team All-Texas (DCTF)
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews)

Keaton Thomas, LB
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Butkus Award Watch List
Preseason Fourth-Team All-America (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason All-Big 12 (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason First-Team All-Texas (DCTF)

Michael Trigg, TE
Preseason Second-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Pick Six Previews))
Preseason Third-Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)

Devin Turner, S
Preseason Fourth-Team All-Big 12 (Pick Six Previews)

Bryson Washington, RB
Maxwell Award Watch List
Preseason Third-Team All-America (Athlon)
Preseason All-Big 12 (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)
Preseason First-Team All-Texas (DCTF)

Palmer Williams, P
Ray Guy Award Watch List
Preseason Second-Team All-America (Phil Steele)
Preseason Third-Team All-America (Athlon)
Preseason All-Big 12 (Big 12 Media)
Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon, Phil Steele)


-BaylorBears.com-



__________________________________



Max Calderone | Director of Athletics Communications (Baseball, Football)

Department of Athletics | Baylor University

C: 254-265-1639



[signature_4121937235]<http://baylorbears.com/>


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