Michigan State University Athletics
11/5/2026 3:07:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State junior punter Rhys Dakin has been named to the midseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award, the Augusta Sports Council announced on Thursday.
Named for football's premier punter, the Ray Guy Award honors the nation's top collegiate punter in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Nominees were evaluated on their overall statistics with an emphasis on net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20, and percentage of punts not returned.
Dakin, a transfer from Iowa in his first season at MSU who was voted a team captain, leads the Big Ten with his 49.3-yard average (24 punts for 1,183 yards). He would rank No. 3 in the FBS as well, but doesn't have the minimum amount of punts to qualify for the national leaders (3.6 per game).
A native of Melbourne, Australia, Dakin also ranks second in the conference with 13 punts of 50-plus yards and has placed nine punts inside the 20 with four inside the 10.
Dakin was a Freshman All-American at Iowa in 2024 and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition as a sophomore in 2025.
Dakin and the Spartans return to action Saturday, Nov. 7 to face Michigan at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor. The game will be streamed on Peacock.
Named for football's premier punter, the Ray Guy Award honors the nation's top collegiate punter in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Nominees were evaluated on their overall statistics with an emphasis on net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20, and percentage of punts not returned.
Dakin, a transfer from Iowa in his first season at MSU who was voted a team captain, leads the Big Ten with his 49.3-yard average (24 punts for 1,183 yards). He would rank No. 3 in the FBS as well, but doesn't have the minimum amount of punts to qualify for the national leaders (3.6 per game).
A native of Melbourne, Australia, Dakin also ranks second in the conference with 13 punts of 50-plus yards and has placed nine punts inside the 20 with four inside the 10.
Dakin was a Freshman All-American at Iowa in 2024 and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition as a sophomore in 2025.
Dakin and the Spartans return to action Saturday, Nov. 7 to face Michigan at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor. The game will be streamed on Peacock.
Players Mentioned
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