Breeding on the 2012 Ray Guy Watch List

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Arkansas senior Dylan Breeding is one of 25 punters included on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, it was announced Wednesday.

Breeding was a second-team All-SEC performer in 2011, when he averaged 45.3 yards per punt with a long of 70 yards. His average was the third-highest single-season average in school history, led the SEC and ranked seventh in the NCAA. The Hoover, Ala., native became the first punter in school history to lead the SEC in punting average and the first to top the conference since Greg Horne led the Southwest Conference in 1986. Breeding boomed 17 punts of 50 yards or longer, dropped 16 inside the 20-yard line with just three touchbacks and had 16 punts result in a fair catch. He averaged at least 40 yards per punt in each game he attempted a punt and registered a single-game career-high average of 50.4 yards per punt, including a career-long 70 yarder, on five punts at No.1 LSU. Entering the 2012 season, Breeding ranks fifth all-time at Arkansas in career punts, career punt yardage and career punt average.

The Ray Guy Award winner is determined by a national voting body of sports writers, college coaches, sports information directors and past Ray Guy Award winners. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times a 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. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.

The Ray Guy Award committee will select the 10 semifinalists, who will be announced Nov. 9. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists, to be announced on Nov. 19. 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 Show airing on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 6.