Texas Transfer Lands on Ray Guy Award Watch List, Eyes Nation’s Top Punter Honor

Texas Football’s newest special teams weapon, senior punter Jack Bouwmeester, has earned a spot on the 2025 Ray Guy Award preseason watch list, the Augusta Sports Council announced Friday. The award honors the most elite punter in the Football Bowl Subdivision—and Bouwmeester is already making waves.

A native of Bendigo, Australia, Bouwmeester brings international flair and serious leg power to the Forty Acres after transferring from Utah. Over three seasons with the Utes, he played in all 39 games and earned all-conference honors twice, including First-Team AP Pac-12 in 2023 and Second-Team Big 12 in 2024. This marks his second consecutive year on the Ray Guy watch list, and he was a semifinalist for the award last season.

In 2024, Bouwmeester led the Big 12 in punting average during the regular season, booming 60 punts at an impressive 44.7 yards per kick—ranking 14th among Power Four punters. He launched three punts over 60 yards, including a season-best 62-yarder against UCF, and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line nine times, with five of those coming in a single game against BYU. His 2023 season was equally dominant, averaging 45.5 yards per punt and notching 19 punts over 50 yards.

With a career average of 43.6 yards per punt, Bouwmeester ranks sixth all-time in Utah history and finished 2024 as the fourth-best active punter in the Big 12. Now, he’s ready to bring that same precision and power to the Longhorns.

Texas fans may recall Michael Dickson, the Longhorn legend who won the Ray Guy Award in 2017 and was a finalist in 2016. Bouwmeester hopes to follow in those footsteps as he begins his first season in burnt orange.

The full list of Ray Guy Award candidates will be revealed on November 5, with semifinalists announced mid-November. Finalists will be selected by a national panel of sports information directors, media members, and past winners, with the winner crowned live on ESPN’s College Football Awards on December 12.