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Darragh O'Neill has become the third Buffalo (if my memory serves) to be added to a preseason award watch list, joining Gus Handler and Chidera Uzo-Diribe. Yes, these awards lists name a lot of guys each season but with the program where it is it's always nice to be recognized. This season will be O'Neill's third as the starting punter at Colorado. O'Neill finished his sophomore season as the 18th best punter in the country based on average yards per punt.
Here are the official preseason watch lists for the Guy Award:
Ray Guy
Steven Clark (Sr.), Auburn
Pat O'Donnell (Gr.), Miami (Fla.)
Darragh O'Neill (Jr.), Colorado
Will Monday (So.), Duke
Trent Tignor (Sr.), East Carolina
Kyle Christy (Jr.), Florida
Richie Leone (Sr.), Houston
Justin Duvernois (Jr.), Illinois
Kirby Van Der Kamp (Sr.), Iowa State
Anthony Melchiori (So.), Kent State
Landon Foster (So.), Kentucky
Tyler Williams (So.), Marshall
Colter Johnson (Sr.), Massachusetts
Tom Hornsey (Sr.), Memphis
Mike Sadler (Jr.), Michigan State
Ben Skaer (Sr.), New Mexico
Cayle Chapman-Brown (Sr.), New Mexico State
Thomas Hibbard (Jr.), North Carolina
Keith Kostol (Jr.), Oregon State
Cody Webster (Sr.), Purdue
Harrison Waid (Sr.), San Jose State
Mike Loftus (Jr.), SMU
Ethan Perry (So.), TCU
Hunter Mullins (Jr.), UAB
Michael Bowlin (Sr.), Washington State
The Guy award, founded in 2000 and named after the Southern Mississippi great, presented itself to the same punter in back-to-back years for the first time since its inception. Louisiana Tech's Ryan Allen was the consensus best punter in the country, taking the 2011 and 2012 trophies while earning unanimous all-American honors last season. Although Allen and Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda each won the award twice, Sepulveda in non-consecutive years, no other school has ever produced two winners.
Will Oliver was not included on the Groza Award watch list.