Boise State punter Oscar Doyle earns spot on prestigious national award watch list

Boise State had a late hole to fill at punter last season when James Ferguson-Reynolds entered the transfer portal during spring practice and landed at Oregon.

Ferguson-Reynolds was a three-year starter for the Broncos who had a solid 2025 season for the Ducks.

When Ferguson-Reynolds left the team, head coach Spencer Danielson found a replacement less than two weeks later in Oscar Doyle. Doyle punted for Weber State as a freshman and was a semifinalist for FCS Punter of the Year.

In his first season with the Broncos in 2025, Doyle played in all 14 games as the team’s starting punter and holder and earned all-Mountain West honorable mention. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt with a long of 59 yards against Eastern Washington. Doyle placed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.

“He’s done a great job punting the football and making sure we win the hidden yardage,” Danielson said of Doyle midway through last year.

Entering his junior season, Doyle is one of 21 players on the Ray Guy Award watch list, which was released on Friday. The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to the nation’s top punter.

Doyle is the only punter from the Pac-12 on the watch list.

Here is the full 21-man Ray Guy Award Watch list:

Dante Atton, Temple

Oscar Bird, Ole Miss

Grant Chadwick, LSU

John Hoyet Chance, TCU

Alec Clark, Florida

Evan Crenshaw, Troy

Oscar Doyle, Boise State

Bart Edmiston, Wyoming

Hunter Green, Washington

Bryan Hansen, West Virginia

Daniel Hughes, Florida State

Dylan Joyce, Miami

Ashton Logan, Middle Tennessee

Bryce McFerson, Maryland

Grayson Miller, Oklahoma

Ethan Pulliam, Mississippi State

Jackson Ross, Tennessee

Daniel Sparks, Virginia

Pierse Stainton, Miami (Ohio)

Tyler White, Texas A&M

Palmer Williams, Baylor

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Doyle is a native of Brisbane, Australia who grew up playing Australian Rules Football. He was a preseason first-team all-Pac-12 selection by Athlon Sports and was a named preseason second-team all-Pac-12 pick by Phil Steele.

Doyle is the ninth Boise State player to earn preseason national recognition, joining offensive guard Roger Carreon, quarterback Maddux Madsen, offensive tackle Daylon Metoyer, defensive back Jaden Mickey, running back Dylan Riley, edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan, tight end Matt Wagner and defensive back JeRico Washington Jr.

Danielson is also on the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy.

Boise State, the preseason favorite to win the rebuilt Pac-12, opens the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Oregon at Autzen Stadium.

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