Texas A&M football: 5 players who exceeded expectations in 2018
By Jeff Shull
Braden Mann
Even the most lofty of expectations for Braden Mann couldn’t have predicted the dominance he would display as a punter this season. You couldn’t imagine a more incredible season for a punter to have, and those aspiring to punt at the highest level would do well to watch Mann once in a while.
Punters will aspire to be like Mann from now on. Oh, and he’s coming back for his senior season, too.
Mann is currently averaging 51.15 yards per punt, three yards better than the next guy. If he were able to keep the average above 50.8 after the bowl game, it would set the NCAA record. He would also be just the second punter to average better than 50 yards per punt in a season.
He also set the NCAA record for single game punting average with 60.8 against Alabama, set the NCAA record for 60+ yard punts in a season with 14, and booted the longest punt of the year with an 82-yard blast against Kentucky.
The Aggie punter was named to the All-SEC First Team, awarded Special Teams Player of the Year, and took home the Ray Guy Award for best punter in America. It was a season to remember, and will be tough to top next season.