BOULDER – University of Colorado sophomore punter Matt DiLallo was named to the 2007 Ray Guy Award Watch List Tuesday. The Award is presented every year to the nation’s top punter. DiLallo is one of 41 players and one of just five underclassmen on the list.

DiLallo was the Buffs’ staring punter as a freshman in 2006 after redshirting the previous year while under the tutelage of then-senior punter John Torp, a Ray Guy Award runner-up in 2005. 

He earned unanimous first-team Freshman All-America honors in 2006, as he had 47 punts for an average of 43.74 with 14 inside-the-20. He had eight punts over 50 yards and two over 60; he owned a net average of 38.5 and a 44.9 mark on punts made from inside CU’s own 25. He did not record a single touchback, and his season long punt of 73 yards, against Colorado State in Denver, set a CU record for the longest punt by a freshman (by some 10 yards). An integrated physiology major, DiLallo was also a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection in 2006.

During spring ball in 2007, CU coaches presented DiLallo with the Bill McCartney Award as the most improved special teams player. The Sporting News selected him as the second-team All-Big 12 punter in its preseason magazine. Through three games in 2007, DiLallo has punted the ball 17 times for a 41.2 average with six inside-the-20.  

DiLallo is the third CU punter to be named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List. Former CU punter Mark Mariscal was on the watch list in 2001 before winning the award in 2002. Torp was on the watch list in 2004 before his runner-up finish in 2005.

The Ray Guy Award winner is selected by a national committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches, sports information directors, past Ray Guy award winners and members of the Greater Augusta Sports Council.

  2007 Ray Guy Award Watch List