Kentucky punter Aidan Laros was named to the watch list for the 2025 Ray Guy Award on Wednesday.
The Ray Guy Award is given annually to college football’s top punter.
Here are more details from UK Athletics:
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky senior punter Aidan Laros (pronounced luh-ROSS) has been added to the watch list for the 2025 Ray Guy Award, it was announced by the Augusta Sports Council.
The Cape Town, South Africa native played a dominant role in controlling field position in Kentucky’s 24-16 win over Toledo on Saturday, the preseason choice to win the Mid-American Conference and recipient of preseason AP Top 25 votes.
Laros punted five times, averaging 43.8 yards per kick with Toledo’s average starting field position inside its own 12-yard line following those five punts. He landed three punts inside the 10-yard line and one on the 12 yard-line. It could have been even better, as Laros’ fifth punt landed on the three-yard-line before skipping into the end zone for a touchback.
After Kentucky gave up a safety in the second quarter, kicking off from his own 20, Laros boomed the kick 71 yards to the UT nine-yard-line and the return only went out to the 23 – a net 57-yard kickoff.
Other than the safety, he recorded four touchbacks on five kickoffs, and the other kickoff was returned from the end zone.
With Laros leading the way, UK enjoyed a +15-yard advantage per possession in average starting field position – for the game, UK’s average starting position was its own 36-yard line and Toledo’s average start was on its own 21. With each team having 12 full possessions, the +15 yards per possession led to 180 yards of hidden yardage in UK’s favor.
Off the field, Laros is on track to graduate in December with a degree with a double major in finance and accounting.
A complete list of candidates will be released on November 5, and in mid-November, the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 semifinalists.
A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision sports information directors, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists to be announced in late November. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December.
