AUGUSTA, Ga. (August 1, 2025) – Ben D'Aquila was named to the 2025 FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch List by the Augusta Sports Council in an announcement on Friday. D'Aquila is one of 11 candidates on the watch list for the award honoring the nation's top FCS punter.
The semifinalists for the award will be announced on December 3 with the winner announced on December 15. The FCS Punter of the Year Award winner will be determined by the national voting body for the award, consisting of FCS sports information directors and national sports writers.
D'Aquila is the lone punter from the Big Sky Conference on the preseason watch list.
After transferring from Incarnate Word, the senior from La Verne, Calif. was a semifinalist for the award in 2024, a season in which he earned All-Big Sky honorable mention honors. In his first season as a Lumberjack, D'Aquila led the Big Sky with 46.7 yards per punt. He placed 17 of his 40 punts inside the 20-yard line and recorded 15 punts of 50 or more yards.
D'Aquila was previously voted to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team in July.
D'Aquila is seeking to become the second NAU punter to receive the award. DJ Arnson was named the FCS Punter of the Year in 2020, the second season the award was given out following its creation in 2019.
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2025 FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch List
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
Shane Messenger – Morgan State
Thomas O'Hara – Murray State
Will Haslett – Fordham
