AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tennessee redshirt senior punter Trevor Daniel has been named to the pre-season watch list for the 2017 Ray Guy Award, as announced by the Augusta Sports Council on Wednesday.

The Ray Guy Award honors the nation’s top collegiate punter and the pre-season watch list features 29 candidates.

In 2016, Daniel, posted a 44.6-yard average with 28 of his 70 punts inside the 20, 29 fair catches and 21 punts of 50 or more yards. His 44.6-yard average ranked third among SEC punters and his 70-yard punt against South Carolina was the longest in the SEC in 2016. Daniel was a candidate for the Ray Guy Award in both 2015 and 2016.

The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens nominations in September. The complete list of candidates will be released on Oct. 31. In early November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 semifinalists, who will be announced on Nov. 16. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists to be announced on Nov. 21. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 7.

The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor the Thomson, Georgia, native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.

-UT Athletics