It has been a good year for sophomore punter James Smith, he was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, earned first team All-AAC and third team AP All-American.
Smith was a game changer for the Bearcats and it is dope to see the masses recognize one of the best punters in college football.
Per GoBearcats
University of Cincinnati punter James Smith (Wangaratta, Australia) was named a Third-Team All-America selection by the Associated Press Monday.
Smith, a sophomore, is UC’s first AP All-America choice since defensive lineman Derek Wolfe was a second-team honoree in 2011.
Smith was a First-Team All-American Athletic Conference choice for the second-straight season and one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award. Smith leads the AAC and is No. 4 in the NCAA FBS averaging 47.0 ypp. The Bearcats led the American in net punting and rank No. 2 in the NCAA FBS (44.5). Smith had a career-long 72-yard punt against Temple and dropped 23 kicks inside the 20-yard line with 16 going 50 yards or more with only one touchback.
His 47.0 yards per punt average currently ranks first on UC’s single-season chart, just ahead of Kevin Huber’s 46.9 ypp average from 2007. Smith was honored on Ray’s 8, highlighting the best punters in college football each week, on five occasions in 2018 and he was tabbed as the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week on November 14, 2018.
