Iowa football's Tory Taylor wins Big Ten Punter of the Year

Iowa football’s Tory Taylor wins Big Ten Punter of the Year

This season, Taylor’s had 31 punts soar 50 or more yards and has landed 27 inside the 20-yard line, leading the Big Ten in both categories.

November 28, 2023

Emily Nyberg

Iowa punter Tory Taylor acknowledges fans after a football game between Iowa and Illinois at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. Taylor punted for 413 total yards, averaging 51.6 per play. The Hawkeyes defeated the Fighting Illini 15-13.

On Tuesday, Iowa football’s Tory Taylor was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year. He also won the award in 2020.

The 6-foot-4 punter from Melbourne, Australia, was named one of three finalists for the Ray Gun Award, which is given to the nation’s best punter.

Taylor has a 46.2 career yard average on 274 punts, with 94 of those going 50-plus yards. He posted a career-best single-game 52.3-yard average on seven punts (366 yards) at Penn State in 2023.

This season, Taylor’s had 31 punts soar 50-plus yards and has landed 27 inside the 20-yard line, leading the Big Ten in both categories. His 48.2 per punt-yard average leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the nation. Taylor’s 72 punts and 3,469 total punting yards also rank first in the country.

The veteran Hawkeye was a first-team All-Big Ten special teams selection, along with defensive back and return specialist Cooper DeJean. Iowa placekicker Drew Stevens was a third-team selection by coaches and honorable mention by the media.

About the Contributors

Kenna Roering, Sports Editor

she/her/hers

Kenna Roering is The Daily Iowan's sports editor. She is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management. Kenna previously worked as a sports reporter for men's wrestling and volleyball and was the summer sports editor in 2023. This is her second year with the DI.

Emily Nyberg, Visual Editor

(she/her/hers)

Emily Nyberg is a second-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic arts. Prior to her role as a Visual Editor, Emily was a Photojournalist, and a News Reporter covering higher education.