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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Oscar Bird Selected to Preseason Watch List for Ray Guy Award
8/14/2026 | Football
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta Sports Council announced the preseason watch list for the 2026 Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top collegiate punter each season, naming Ole Miss punter Oscar Bird to the list on Friday.
Seeing action in all 15 games for Ole Miss in 2025, Bird helped the team rank third in the country in net punting with a clip of 43.6 yards per punt, while averaging 46.0 yards individually. The Sydney, Australia native booted 41 total punts and allowed just a single touchback all season, dropping 14 kicks inside the 20 while sending 15 punts over 50 yards.
A final watch list for the award will be announced in early November, with a committee selecting the 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The three finalists will be named at the end of November, and the winner unveiled during the Home Depot College Football Awards show on December 11.
Coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance a season ago, the Ole Miss football team is set to kickoff the 2026 season on Sunday, September 6 against Louisville at 6:30 p.m. CT at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Seeing action in all 15 games for Ole Miss in 2025, Bird helped the team rank third in the country in net punting with a clip of 43.6 yards per punt, while averaging 46.0 yards individually. The Sydney, Australia native booted 41 total punts and allowed just a single touchback all season, dropping 14 kicks inside the 20 while sending 15 punts over 50 yards.
A final watch list for the award will be announced in early November, with a committee selecting the 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The three finalists will be named at the end of November, and the winner unveiled during the Home Depot College Football Awards show on December 11.
Coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance a season ago, the Ole Miss football team is set to kickoff the 2026 season on Sunday, September 6 against Louisville at 6:30 p.m. CT at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
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