10/21/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
The BU senior leads the nation in punting average
WACO, Texas — Baylor senior punter Palmer Williams has been named to The Sporting News Midseason All-America Second Team, the latest in an impressive list of accolades for the nation's leading punter.
The Ray Guy Award Finalist from a season ago leads the country with a 51.4-yard punting average, putting himself on pace to lead the Big 12 for the third consecutive season and the nation for the second time in three years. Williams would become the first Bear in program history to lead the country in punting average twice.
The Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year last season, Williams continues to establish himself among the nation's elite punters. He is on pace to leave Baylor as the program's career leader in punting average while owning two of the best single-season averages in school history.
He has earned preseason All-America recognition from multiple outlets entering the 2026 campaign, including first-team honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and first-team All-Big 12 recognition.
Baylor will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 12 p.m. against the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas. J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr. and Allie LaForce will have the call for TNT/tru TV/HBOMax, while John Morris, Geff Gandy and Bryson Jackson bring you the action on the Baylor Sports Media Network.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor football, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.
BAYLOR FOOTBALL 2026 HONORS
Michael Allen, S
Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Semifinalist
AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Jason Witten Man of the Year Nominee
William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist
Rhett Armstrong, K
Week 4 – Lou Groza Award Star of the Week
Travion Barnes, LB
Midseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Preseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Daniel Cobbs, S
Midseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Ryan Davis, JACK
Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (PFN)
Gavin Freeman, WR
Midseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (PFN)
Micah Gifford, S
Midseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
DJ Lagway, QB
Week 5 – Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
Week 5 – Davey O'Brien Award Great 8
Week 5 – Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week
Week 5 – Manning Award Star of the Week
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Tony Livingston, TE
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Ryelan Morris, RB
Week 5 – Big 12 Freshman of the Week
Dawson Pendergrass, RB
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Jacob Redding, S
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team FLEX (Sports Info Solutions)
Dylan Schaub, LS
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Kaden Sieracki, OT
Preseason All-Big Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Devonte Tezino, DL
Shriners 1000 Watch List
LeVar Thornton Jr., CB
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Devin Turner, S
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Hosea Wheeler, DL
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Palmer Williams, P
Midseason All-America Second Team (Sporting News)
Midseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Week 4 – Ray Guy Award Ray's 8
Week 4 – Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week
Week 1 - Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week
Preseason All-America First Team (Walter Camp Foundation)
Preseason All-America Second Team (CBS Sports)
Preseason All-America Third Team (Phil Steele)
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team (Media, Phil Steele)
Preseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Ray Guy Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List
The Ray Guy Award Finalist from a season ago leads the country with a 51.4-yard punting average, putting himself on pace to lead the Big 12 for the third consecutive season and the nation for the second time in three years. Williams would become the first Bear in program history to lead the country in punting average twice.
The Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year last season, Williams continues to establish himself among the nation's elite punters. He is on pace to leave Baylor as the program's career leader in punting average while owning two of the best single-season averages in school history.
He has earned preseason All-America recognition from multiple outlets entering the 2026 campaign, including first-team honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and first-team All-Big 12 recognition.
Baylor will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 12 p.m. against the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas. J.B. Long, Mike Golic Jr. and Allie LaForce will have the call for TNT/tru TV/HBOMax, while John Morris, Geff Gandy and Bryson Jackson bring you the action on the Baylor Sports Media Network.
To stay up to date on all things Baylor football, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.
BAYLOR FOOTBALL 2026 HONORS
Michael Allen, S
Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Semifinalist
AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Jason Witten Man of the Year Nominee
William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist
Rhett Armstrong, K
Week 4 – Lou Groza Award Star of the Week
Travion Barnes, LB
Midseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Preseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Daniel Cobbs, S
Midseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Ryan Davis, JACK
Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (PFN)
Gavin Freeman, WR
Midseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (PFN)
Micah Gifford, S
Midseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
DJ Lagway, QB
Week 5 – Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
Week 5 – Davey O'Brien Award Great 8
Week 5 – Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week
Week 5 – Manning Award Star of the Week
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List
Maxwell Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Tony Livingston, TE
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Ryelan Morris, RB
Week 5 – Big 12 Freshman of the Week
Dawson Pendergrass, RB
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Jacob Redding, S
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team FLEX (Sports Info Solutions)
Dylan Schaub, LS
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Kaden Sieracki, OT
Preseason All-Big Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Devonte Tezino, DL
Shriners 1000 Watch List
LeVar Thornton Jr., CB
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Devin Turner, S
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Hosea Wheeler, DL
Preseason All-Big Third Team (Phil Steele)
Shriners 1000 Watch List
Palmer Williams, P
Midseason All-America Second Team (Sporting News)
Midseason All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Week 4 – Ray Guy Award Ray's 8
Week 4 – Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week
Week 1 - Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week
Preseason All-America First Team (Walter Camp Foundation)
Preseason All-America Second Team (CBS Sports)
Preseason All-America Third Team (Phil Steele)
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team (Media, Phil Steele)
Preseason All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)
Ray Guy Award Watch List
Shriners 1000 Watch List
—Baylorbears.com—
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