The Daily's preseason watch list reaction: Lou Groza, Ray Guy awards

Earlier this summer, we published our own preseason watch lists for all of the major college football awards. The official lists are now being released, so Daily sports reporters will offer their reactions. Released today: the Lou Groza and Ray Guy awards.

LOU GROZA AWARD

Tobi Neidy, senior football writer: OU also had to replace a kicker after an injury benched starter Jimmy Stevens last season. But sophomore kicker Michael Hunnicutt didn't disappoint on the opportunity to take over the starting role, making 21-of-24 field goal attempts and only missing one extra point conversion (55-of-56). Now Hunnicutt finds himself on the Lou Groza watch list and most likely the 2012 Sooner starting kicker come September.

Kedric Kitchens, sports editor: So, the watch list for the Quinn Sharp — err, Lou Groza — Award was released today. Look, the Oklahoma State kicker pretty much has this one in the bag unless he gets hurt. OU kicker Micheal Hunnicutt also made the list. He was serviceable as a redshirt freshman last year but still a bit of a stretch.

Dillon Phillips, assistant sports editor: HUNN-I-CUTT! I can still hear the chants ringing throughout the student section after each kick from Oklahoma sophomore kicker Michael Hunnicutt sailed through the uprights last season. Hunnicutt made this season’s Groza watch list after setting several Oklahoma records last year despite not taking over the kicking duties until the third game of the season. Perhaps the most impressive part of Hunnicutt’s success last year was how quickly it made Sooner fans forget how uncertain the kicking game was when Hunnicutt’s predecessor, former Heritage Hall product Jimmy Stevens, was at the helm.

RAY GUY AWARD

Neidy: Oklahoma State punter/kicker Quinn Sharp made both kicker award lists this year and rightfully so. He has not only led the nation in touchbacks on kickoffs in the last three seasons but is the only player in Big 12 history to be named all-conference at both positions. But what's made Sharp's journey more challenging is the fact he had to follow behind former OSU Ray Guy award winner, Matt Fodge. Somehow the Cowboys know what it takes to recruit the best kickers in the country, and Sharp is well on his way to obtaining the hardware to prove it.

Kitchens: Where is the love for Tress Way? The Sooner punter is definitely a major snub on this list in his senior season. I don't know if the selection committee wants to make it easier for Quinn Sharp to win both awards or what, but that's wrong.

Phillips: There’s only one glaring discrepancy on the list: the vacancy of Oklahoma’s senior punter Tress Way. Way has been one of the few consistent bright spots on the Sooners’ infamously shoddy special teams unit, and the fact that he was left off the list is a huge oversight by the committee.

Sports Desk

Sports is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as