The Ray Guy Award honors the best punter in the country each season.

On Thursday, the Augusta Sports Council named Ole Miss punter Oscar Bird and 63 others to its midseason watch list.

Ahead of the year, Bird made the preseason watchlist for the award. That watchlist included 22 players, giving the college football world a sense of who the nation's best punters would be in 2026.

How has Bird punted this year?

63 players are a large sample size, but it doesn't necessarily give the public a clear idea of how well Bird has played this year. He is in the top half of punters across the nation, but many SEC backups would be in the top half of punters in the country if they were given the chance to play.

That said, Bird has put together an impressive 2026 campaign.

He has punted 26 times this season, averaging 45.8 yards per punt. This number puts Bird fifth in the SEC in average punt length. His long of 60 ranks ninth in the SEC.

Bird is not the most powerful punter in the country, yet he makes his punts count. He has landed 9 punts inside the 20-yard line this year. He flips the field when it matters most for the Rebels and certainly makes the defense's job easier.

Bird has not just been effective at punting. In the Texas game, Bird scrambled for a first down on a fake punt at a critical moment. The play gave the punter a rare chance to show off his athleticism, a side most fans never get to see.

Bird played three years of Australian Rules football before he traveled to the US. Australian rules football requires significantly more athleticism than the American punter position requires. Every player is expected to both run with and kick the ball, which indubitably gave Bird the experience he showed in the Texas fake punt.

How can Bird add to his Ray Guy Award resume?

The punter is a position most teams don't want to use often. Fortunately for Ole Miss, Bird ranks toward the back half of the SEC in punt attempts. That number reflects well on the offensive scheme but also limits Bird's opportunities to build his case for the award.

The good news for Bird is that the award isn't based solely on attempts. Last season, Georgia punter Brett Thorson won with only 46 punts. The year before, USC's Eddie Czaplicki won with 43.

The key to the award isn't quantity; it's quality, and Bird certainly possesses that.

Performances like the one Bird put together in the Missouri game will be integral to winning the award. In that contest, Bird punted four times, and all four were inside the 20. He flipped the field and helped limit Missouri to three points.

There is a long way to go before the award is given, but Bird has an opportunity to play a key role in the Rebels' chances against Georgia this weekend. A good performance will propel his award campaign.

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