Trying To Be Good Guy, Hunter Green Makes Watch List

The new Husky punter returns with the nation's sixth-best average from 2025.

Hunter Green gets airborne as he launches a Spring Game punt. | Dave Sizer photo

Introducing himself during University of Washington spring football practice, new punter Hunter Green shared how winning the Ray Guy Award, which is given to the nation's best player at his position, motivated him.

He was a little shy about revealing this personal quest, not wanting to sound like a self-promoter, yet in the process he served up one of the best Husky quotes delivered throughout the entire 15 practices.

"That sounds bad, because I feel like that's a personal goal and I don't want to just be focused on myself," he said standing in Husky Stadium. "But if I'm pinning the team back, if I'm smoking the ball, hitting bombs, I'm putting the other team in bad position, which puts our team in even better position."

Well, he's part way there in getting his wish after Green this week earned a spot on the Ray Guy Award watch list, which consists of the nation's top 21 punters looking to be the last man standing while punting lights out.

In fact, Green carries a lot of high expectations that stretch beyond Montlake after transferring in from San Diego State and previously playing for Northern Colorado.

"He's phenomenal -- he's an NFL talent," UW special-teams coach Chris Petrilli said. "If he keeps his head down and grinds, he could have a real special story when this is all said and done."

Hunter the Punter @HunterGreen2022 named to the Ray Guy Award preseason watchlist. ☔️

➡️ https://t.co/57ZKZIFQgz pic.twitter.com/EjVe2zwYe5

— Washington Football (@UW_Football) August 15, 2026

Green becomes the sixth Husky football player to make a preseason award watch list, joining quarterback Demond Williams Jr., Maxwell Award; tight end Decker DeGraaf, Mackey Award; center Landen Hatchett, Rimington Trophy; kicker Tyler Robles, Lou Groza Award; and linebacker Xe'ree Alexander, Butkus Award.

He finished as the nation's sixth-leading punter in 2025, averaging a booming 47 yards per punt on 68 tries for the Aztecs.

Of the other watch list candidates, only Colorado's Bryan Hansen and TCU's John Hoyet Chance finished with a higher average last season, ending up as the third- and fourth-best punters in the country.

Hansen came in with a 47.39 average, while Hoyet Chance, kicking for Louisiana Tech last season, averaged 47.27 per boot.

Of the 21 players with Guy watch-list status, 10 of them finished among the top 39 punters statistically last season.

A local player from Kirkland in the Seattle suburbs,, Green is noticeable because he's 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and looks more like a tight end than a punter. Plus he's extremely nimble and athletic for his size.

Entering his fifth college season, he's not only punted a combined 182 times, he's kicked field goals as long as 53 yards and points after touchdown, kicked off, rushed once for 12 yards, completed a pass and made a tackle.

The Huskies will be happy to simply send him out on the field on fourth down and let him dictate field position, which wasn't always a team strong suit in 2025.

Green comes highly decorated, having been named first-team All-Big Sky, third-team FCS All-American and second-team All-Mountain West. The Athletic recently singled him out as a preseason first-team All-Big Ten pick.

"He's a phenomenal pro-style punter," Petrilli said. "He has a big leg. I love his footwork. He's super dedicated to his craft, which I appreciated. I can ask a lot of him and he answers the bell."