BALTIMORE, Md. (August 1, 2025) -- Morgan State junior Shane Messenger has earned a place on the prestigious preseason watch list for the 2025 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Punter of the Year Award. This esteemed honor recognizes the exceptional talent and performance of the nation's top punters in the FCS. It's the second straight year Messenger has earned a spot on the prestigious list, highlighting his consistent performance.
As one of only 11 players chosen for the preseason watch list, Messenger stands out among a group of highly skilled punters. His steady ability to deliver accurate and long-distance punts has earned him recognition as one of the most promising punters in the FCS.
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 sports information directors and national sports writers.
As a sophomore, Messenger solidified his reputation as one of the MEAC's top punters. The Alexandria, Va. native averaged 37.5 yards on 51 punts, totaling 1,914 yards for the season. His precision stood out—13 of his punts pinned opponents inside the 20, while 19 resulted in fair catches. He also demonstrated impressive leg strength with four punts soaring over 50 yards.
Messenger's standout play has earned him a spot on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team, reaffirming his emergence as one of the conference's top talents.
2025 Preseason Watchlist
Shane Messenger, Morgan State
Ben D'Aquila, Northern Arizona
Brendon Kilpatrick, Youngstown State
Gilbert Brown, Charleston Southern
Jacob Baker, Eastern Kentucky
James Platte, The Citadel
Jeff Yurk, Elon
John McConnell, Mercer
Johnny Schifano, Grambling State
Thomas O'Hara, Murray State
Will Haslett, Fordham
Morgan State is set to open its 2025 football season on the road Saturday, August 30, with a challenging out-of-conference matchup against the University of South Alabama Jaguars. This highly anticipated season-opening showdown for Morgan will kick off at 7 p.m., taking place on the Jaguars' home turf at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign are now available. Click here to purchase.
About the FCS Punter of the Year Award
The Augusta Sports Council, also home to the Ray Guy Award (awarded to the best collegiate punter in the FBS), created the FCS Punter of the Year Award in 2019 to honor the best collegiate punter playing in the FCS. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line, and percentage of punts not returned, with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team's success.
About the Augusta Sports Council
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) supports the many facets of local, national, and international sporting events that contribute to our community's quality of life and economic development. To learn more, visit augustasportscouncil.org.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
