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Despite often being overlooked, the punter position is still one of the most crucial in football. Possessing a punter who can flip field position and pin opponents deep can mean the difference between winning and losing.
The opening day of the 2024 college football season is rapidly approaching as summer begins. In anticipation of the upcoming season, here's a preview of the top five college football punters to watch out for.
Top 5 college football punters to watch out for in 2024
#5, Ryan Eckley, Michigan State
Ryan Eckley is entering his third season with the Michigan State Spartans after appearing in all 12 games last season. Eckley ranked ninth in the country last season with 46.8 yards per punt and sixth in the Big Ten with his 2,576 total punting yards.
He recorded four 60-yard punts and pinned the opponent inside the 10-yard line 15 times. Eckley was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media during the 2023 season and is on pace to be one of the top punters in the Big Ten and possibly the country in 2024.
#4, James Evans, Indiana
Indiana punter James Evans is the program's career punt average leader, at 43.9 yards per punt. He enters his fourth season with the Hoosiers and has improved his average each season.
Evans finished 2023 with 57 punts for 2,612 yards and ranked third in the Big Ten with an average of 45.8 yards per punt. He also boomed a career-high 70-yard punt in a 31-14 loss against Rutgers. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the media last season and has 20 career punts that he's placed inside the 10.
#3, James Burnip, Alabama
Alabama's James Burnip will be entering his senior season with the Crimson Tide after recording 151 punts through three seasons. Burnip has appeared in 42 games and has 6,545 career punt yards with an average of 43.3 yards.
Last season was Burnip's best, ranking first in the Southeastern Conference with 2,806 yards and third with 47.6 yards per punt. He launched five punts over 60 yards, including his career-high 67-yarder in a 40-17 victory over Mississippi State.
#2, James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State
James Ferguson-Reynolds has been one of the top punters in the Mountain West Conference since his impressive freshman season in 2022. He has accumulated 118 punts in 27 games. His 2,735 total yards last season ranked first in the MWC, and his 49.7 yards per punt was the most in the NCAA.
Ferguson-Reynolds was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist and earned AP third-team All-American honors while pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 23 times in 2023. He had 29 punts that traveled 50 yards and boomed a career-high 71-yard punt against San Jose State.
#1. Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
2023 Ray Guy Award finalist Alex Mastromanno will return for his fifth season with the Florida State Seminoles. The experienced punter has just under 200 punts and has amassed 8,555 punting yards.
He ranked second in the ACC last season with 3,004 yards and an average of 45.5 yards per punt. He earned second-team All-ACC honors and tallied 26 punts inside the 20 with just three touchbacks.
Mastromanno launched 19 punts that went 50 yards, including his season-long punt of 59 yards in games against Clemson and Virginia Tech.
Which punter do you think will have the best college football season in 2024? Let us know in the comment section.
