Florida State Adds Another Seminole to Preseason Award Watch List

Florida State continues to add to its list of preseason recognition ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Senior punter Daniel Hughes became the latest Seminole to receive national attention Friday, earning a spot on the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list. The honor follows a standout 2025 season at New Mexico, where the Australian specialist emerged as one of the nation’s most productive punters before transferring to FSU in January.

Hughes Earns National Recognition After Breakout Season

Hughes punted 41 times for 1,863 yards at New Mexico last season, averaging 45.4 yards per attempt. He placed 13 punts inside the 20-yard line and produced 13 punts of at least 50 yards, helping the Lobos rank 10th nationally with 43.02 net yards per punt.

𝗥𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝘂𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁

The Ray Guy Award is presented by the Augusta Sports Council to the nation’s best punter

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— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) August 14, 2026

Those numbers helped Hughes become a Ray Guy Award semifinalist and an honorable mention All-Mountain West selection. However, he pushed back on the idea that net punting reflects the work of only one player.

“It’s a unit statistic. It’s not a Daniel Hughes or a punter statistic,” Hughes said on Thursday. “I just played my role in that stat.”

Those expectations have followed him to Tallahassee, Florida, where he will attempt to replicate his success with an entirely new group.

Florida State Places Both Specialists on National Watch Lists

Hughes is the second Florida State specialist to land on a national award watch list this preseason.

Oklahoma State transfer and first-team All-American kicker Gabe Panikowski was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list on August 7, giving Florida State recognition at both kicking positions.

Wide receiver Duce Robinson has also collected several preseason honors, including spots on the Maxwell Award watch list and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watch list. Robinson is also being looked at as a punt returner this season, bringing one of the most dynamic receivers in the country into a new role.

“I was talking with Duce Robinson last week, and he was like, ‘I’m so excited for you to see that War Chant for the first time.’ So I think the first time we come out of that tunnel, that’s when I’ll be like, ‘I’m at Florida State.’”

Hughes will have an opportunity to strengthen his Ray Guy Award argument when FSU opens the season against New Mexico State on August 29.

The award will be presented on December, 10 during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

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