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TCU Punter Lands on Prestigious Ray Guy Award Watch List
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- TCU Punter Lands on Prestigious Ray Guy Award Watch List
(James Snook-Imagn Images)
TCU is entering the 2026 season with plenty of optimism surrounding its roster, and one of the Horned Frogs ' newest additions is already receiving national recognition.
Punter John Hoyet Chance has been named to the 2026 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List, giving TCU another player to keep an eye on as the season approaches. The award is presented annually to the nation's top punter in the Football Bowl Subdivision, making Chance's inclusion a notable preseason honor.
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Chance is entering his first season with the Horned Frogs after transferring from Louisiana Tech , but his lack of familiarity with the program should not be mistaken for a lack of experience. The Shreveport, Louisiana, native is coming off an impressive 2025 campaign that established him as one of the better punters in the country.
During his final season at Louisiana Tech, Chance punted 66 times for an average of 47.3 yards per attempt. He also produced a 72-yard punt against Liberty, demonstrating the leg strength that could become a major asset for TCU's special teams this season. Even more importantly, 28 of his punts were placed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
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And with 3,120 yards of total punt distance, that put him alone at the top of Conference USA, making him quite the threat when it's fourth down and his team is punting it away.
Those numbers help explain why Chance is already receiving significant preseason recognition despite being new to the Horned Frogs. He was previously selected to the Sports Info Solutions Preseason All-America Team and its Preseason All-Big 12 First Team.
For TCU, adding a proven punter like Chance could provide an important advantage in field-position battles. While punters do not typically receive the same attention as quarterbacks, running backs, or defensive stars, consistently flipping the field can have a major impact over the course of a season.
The Ray Guy Award places an emphasis on several aspects of punting, including net average, punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and punts that are not returned. The award also considers leadership and a player's overall impact on team success.
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Chance now has an opportunity to turn his preseason recognition into something more meaningful once the games begin. With his production from a year ago and a new opportunity at TCU, the veteran punter could quickly become one of the Horned Frogs' most important special teams players.
TCU fans will have plenty of reasons to watch Chance in 2026, and his inclusion on the Ray Guy Award watch list suggests the rest of the country will be watching as well.
But even if opposing fans aren't looking out for him on the field, they will hate it whenever their team is backed up against their own end zone.
