Jay Bramblett, Slade Roy on Special Teams Award Watchlists

Can Bramblett take home LSU’s first ever Ray Guy Award? Can Roy take the Patrick Mannelly?

The preseason award watchlists keep rolling out and two of LSU’s special team players are on their respective positions watchlist.

Fifth-year senior punter Jay Bramblett is on the Ray Guy Award watchlist. The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the nation’s best punter, and is one of the few national awards LSU has not claimed in its storied history. Though real ones know Brad Wing should have won it in 2011 and I’ll die on that hill.

Bramblett looks to be the first Tiger to ever win the Guy. He followed Brian Kelly from Notre Dame to LSU and was the lone bright spot in an otherwise awful special teams unit. Bramblett averaged 44.5 yards on 49 punts last season; per LSU, that was the seventh-best single season average in school history. Bramblett’s average was also good for second in the SEC and 11th in the nation.

Slade Roy is also up for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given annually to the nation’s best long snapper. Like the Guy, LSU has never won the Mannelly Award but the award has only been given out since 2019. Fittingly enough Brian Kelly coached John Shannon, who won the first ever Mannelly Award, so here’s hoping he and Slade Roy can recapture that same magic in 2023.