BLACKSBURG – Two of Tech's specialists, senior punter Oscar Bradburn and redshirt senior kicker Brian Johnson have been included on Watch Lists in their respective fields on Wednesday, the National College Football Awards Association announced.
Bradburn is once again in the conversation for the Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter annually, while Johnson makes his initial Lou Groza Award Watch List appearance, an award that honors the top collegiate placekicker.
Bradburn (6-1, 221), who was a semifinalist for the award last season, received All-ACC Honorable Mention accolades after posting an average of 46.5 yards per attempt. The Sydney, Australia native pinned 22 punts inside the oppositions 20-yard line and had 21 efforts over 50 yards. Bradburn boomed a season best 69-yard effort against ODU in 2019, part of a day where he averaged 56.7 yards.
He wore Coach Beamer's number 25 jersey in the game against Duke where he had five punts, pinning three inside the 20 and had a game-high 54-yard effort.
Johnson (6-1, 191), went 19 for 23 on his field goal attempts in 2019 and was a perfect 48 of 48 on point after attempts, accumulating 105 points. The Washington, D.C. native connected on all 15 tries inside of 39 yards on the season and hit a career best 54-yarder in the Belk Bowl against Kentucky. Johnson wore Coach Beamer's number 25 jersey in that Belk Bowl contest where he went three for three on field goal attempts and scored 12 points.
Hokies on preseason Watch Lists in 2020:
DB Caleb Farley
•Bednarik Award
•Jim Thorpe Award
•Nagurski Award
LB Rayshard Ashby
•Bednarik Award
•Nagurski Award
•Butkus Award
DB Jermaine Waller
•Jim Thorpe Award
OL Christian Darrisaw
•Outland Trophy
P Oscar Bradburn
•Ray Guy Award
K Brian Johnson
•Lou Groza Award
Phil Steele's All-ACC Team included 13 Hokies; Ashby, Farley, Darrisaw, Bradburn, Tayvion Robinson, Lecitus Smith, Waller, Jarrod Hewitt, Tré Turner, Justus Reed, Dax Hollifield, Divine Deablo and Johnson.