Taylor Wins Ray Guy Award

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Tory Taylor has been named the recipient of the 2023 Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top collegiate punter. The announced was made Friday by the Augusta Sports Council.

Taylor becomes the first Hawkeye to win the Ray Guy Award. The Augusta Sports Council began honoring the top punter in 2000. Taylor is the second consecutive Melbourne, Australia, native to receive the prestigious award (Adam Korsak, Rutgers).

Taylor (6-foot-4, 232 pounds) was named the Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year, Associated Press first-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media last month. During the regular season, he was recognized as the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week three times (Oct. 9; Oct. 16; Nov. 20), the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week on Oct. 24 and named to Ray’s 8 five times.

Taylor, who was also a Ray Guy Award semifinalist in 2020 and 2021, is a first-team All-American by CBS (unanimous), The Athletic and Sports Illustrated as a senior. Taylor (46.2) will finish his collegiate career breaking the NCAA’s career punting average record; currently held by Baylor’s Daniel Sepulveda (42.5). Taylor has averaged 40 or more yards in an NCAA-best 42 career games.

During the 2023 season, Taylor broke Iowa’s single season punting yardage record for a third consecutive season. He has an NCAA-best 86 punts for 4,119 yards with his 47.9 average leading the Big Ten and ranking third nationally. Thirty-six of his punts have traveled 50+ yards (six punts of 60+), 27 have been fair caught, 30 have been downed inside the 20, 11 inside the 10 and six inside the 5. He only has six touchbacks and opponents average just 8.8 yards per return.

Taylor broke Iowa’s career punting record during the Week 12 victory over Illinois. He has 288 punts for 13,297 yards — both school records — and his 46.2 career average will break Jason Baker’s mark come season’s end.  Taylor has punted at least seven times in seven games this season and six times in 11 of 13 contests. He matched a personal best with 10 punts at Penn State and his 52.3-yard average in the game was a career best.

The No. 17 Hawkeyes will play No. 21 Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game will start at noon (CT) and will be televised on ABC.