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Gators P Alec Clark Tabbed to Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List

Alec Clark enters his first season with the Gators after a stint at Tulane.
Cam Parker|
Alec Clark enters his first season with the Gators after a stint at Tulane.
Alec Clark enters his first season with the Gators after a stint at Tulane. | Courtesy of UAA Communication

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Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators on Friday received its second preseason watch list nod for one of its specialists, with punter Alec Clark named to the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List, the Augusta Sports Council announced.

The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the nation's top punter.

Clark enters his first season at Florida after transferring from Tulane, where he was named First Team All-AAC in 2025. He recorded 48 punts, averaging a career-high 46.5 yards per punt, with 16 that were downed inside the 20-yard line and were at least 50 yards. Before his strong season with the Green Wave, he spent two seasons at Marshall, including one as the starting punter in 2024 in which he punted 55 times for an average of 42.4 yards per punt.

Special teams coach Johnathan Galante coached Clark at both Marshall and at Tulane.

"That’s a position, a really hard position to master," Galante said. "Kicking is not easy, either. You play soccer in America growing up and they’re kicking the ball off the ground. So they get used to contact, follow through, accuracy. Punting is a whole ‘nother animal. It’s the only sport you play in America where you catch a snap from 15 yards away and try to punt it 40 or 50 yards downfield with hang time and great direction – and there’s a rush team coming at you and you have to get it off really quick.

"So it’s awesome having him here now. He’s mastered the position and getting really good at it.”

Should Clark win, he would join Chas Henry (2010) as the program's two winners. Henry (2009) and Kyle Christy (2012) are the only finalists from Florida in the award's history, which began in 2000. A final watch list will be released in early November, with the 10 semifinalists announced in mid-November. The three finalists will be announced in late November, and the winner will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards in December.

Clark is the latest Gator named to an award's preseason watch list, joining running back Jadan Baugh (Maxwell Award, Hornung Award), receiver Vernell Brown III (Hornung Award), center Harrison Moore (Rimington Trophy), linebacker Myles Graham (Butkus Award, Wuerffel Trophy) and kicker Patrick Durkin (Lou Groza Award).

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

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