RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Fifth year punter
Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) football team is one of just 14 punters on the preseason watch list for the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year Award, which the Augusta Sports Council uses to honor the top punter in FCS.
Wallace-Dilling is the only punter in Southland Conference on the list.
The 14 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of FCS punters and were compiled based on previous FCS Punter of the Year semifinalists, 2025 All-American and all-conference selections, top performing punters, and 2026 Preseason All-American and preseason all-conference selections.
The FCS Punter of the Year Award winner will be determined by the FCS Punter of the Year Award national voting body, which consists of FCS communications professionals and national sports writers.
A Phil Steele Preseason All-Southland Conference First Team selection, Wallace-Dilling earned a spot on Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas Non-FBS Second Team and all-conference second team honors from both Southland and Phil Steele last season.
He ranked 15
th in the FCS and second in the Southland in punting average (43.7) last season. Across 12 games, Wallace-Dilling placed 17 punts inside the 20, including several inside the 5, with 14 punts over 50 yards, including one of 58 yards. Only four of his punts resulted in touchbacks and nine in fair catches. Wallace-Dilling made a career-long punt of 58 yards vs. Houston Christian University (10/4) and placed a career-high four punts inside the 20 at (RV) Southeastern (9/27).
2026 FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch List
Liam Allen IV, Howard
Brandon Bowman, Campbell
Logan Chenette, Stonehill
Brady Clark, Princeton
Demetrion Duvall, Alcorn State
Ryan Marks, Utah Tech
Charlie Mullen, Tarleton State
Max Pelham, South Dakota State
Connor Poole, Lehigh
Emiliano Salazar, San Diego
Ben Shrewsbury, Virginia Military Institute
Luke Silvernale, North Dakota
Brett Starling, Hampton
Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling, UTRGV
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