San Diego State punter named to Ray Guy Award watch list

Hunter Green is one of the best punters in college football

San Diego State football helmet. | Cris Tiller / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another week brings another accolade for a San Diego State football player. 

Junior punter Hunter Green has been added to the 2025 Ray Guy Award Watch List as announced by the Augusta Sports Council. 

The Ray Guy Award, which was won in 2021 by SDSU’s Matt Araiza, honors the nation’s top FBS punter. 

Who is Hunter Green?

Green is in his first season on Montezuma Mesa after spending the previous three years at Northern Colorado at the FCS level. Green punted four times in a 42-0 season-opening win against Stony Brook for 209 yards and a 52.3-yard average. He had two 50-plus-yarders and a long of 67 yards, and one inside the 20-yard line.

Green’s 52.3 average was the second-best for an Aztec in a season opener in their Division I history (since 1969), while the 67-yarder was the third longest and longest since Snapdragon Stadium opened in 2022. 

Congratulations to @HunterGreen2022 for being named to the @RayGuyAward Watch List for the 2025 season!#AztecFAST 🍢 x #BeTheA1pha 🐺 x #TheClimb 📈 pic.twitter.com/qjzJXA3vBg

— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) September 3, 2025

Last year, Green ranked fifth in FCS last year in punt average at 46.3 yards. That would’ve ranked fifth in FBS in 2024 and eclipsed the 46.1-yard average by SDSU’s All-Mountain West first-team punter Tyler Pastula. It would have ranked third in SDSU single-season history.

Including FCS play, Green is averaging 45.2 yards per punt for his career, which is ranked third among all active FBS and FCS punters.

High standards to uphold

An Aztec punter has made a Mountain West first or second team in five consecutive seasons, including Tanner Kuljian (second team in 2020), Matt Araiza (first team and Ray Guy Award winner in 2021), Jack Browning (first team in 2022, second team in 2023) and Pastula (first team, 2024).

“Obviously there's pressure, and I feel like there's a high expectation because of the recent success of the punters here,” Green said during fall camp. “But I have high goals and high expectations for myself. So, the expectations that are kind of given to me from the people that want to see a high-level punter, I feel like it matches the expectations I have for myself.

Other Aztecs accolades

Edge rusher Trey White has been named the preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being named to the watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award (most outstanding defensive player) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year). 

White and cornerback Chris Johnson have been named to the 2026 Senior Bowl Top 300 Watch List.

Linebacker Tano Letuli has been named to the Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List.

Up next

Green and the Aztecs (1-0) travel to face future Pac-12 opponent Washington State (1-0) on Saturday night at Martin Stadium in Pullman.