si
Hunter Green, who grew up a short punt from Husky Stadium, did not suit up for the University of Washington until this spring, his fifth and final season of college eligibility. This seems peculiar given that he has been among the nation's top punters for the past two years—and the Huskies were without him. In football terms, that is poor field position.
It is almost inexcusable that it took so long for Green to join Washington for several reasons. Not only did he live just 10 miles away in Kirkland, Washington, and kick for Lake Washington High School, but he is also the son of the late Phil Green, a former Husky walk-on place-kicker and defensive back under Don James. Needing an upgrade at punter, the Huskies rectified this oversight by connecting the dots and pulling the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Green from the transfer portal away from San Diego State, bringing him home.
More people are taking notice. This week, The Athletic released a preseason All-Big Ten team that slotted him as the No. 1 punter. However, Green has bigger ambitions, such as winning the Ray Guy Award for the nation's best punter. 'That sounds bad, because I feel like that's a personal goal, and I don't want to just be focused on myself,' he said during spring ball. 'But if I'm pinning the team back, if I'm smoking the ball, hitting bombs, I'm putting the other team in bad position, which puts our team in even better position.'
Key Analysis
Green averaged 47 yards per punt for San Diego State in 2025, ranking sixth nationally, and 46.4 the prior season for Northern Colorado, which placed him third in the FCS. Only one Husky punter in school history has posted a better average than either of Green's top two marks—Race Porter, who averaged 48.5 in 2021. Green's size and flexibility make his punting form impressive. Yet he has done more than punt: at Northern Colorado, he also served as place-kicker, converting 9 of 20 field-goal attempts, including a 53-yarder against Colorado State. He also rushed once for 12 yards, completed a pass for a 5-yard loss, and recorded a tackle.
Returning punter Luke Dunne averaged 40.1 yards on 34 punts without a block, but he struggled in key games, shanking punts for 17 yards against Ohio State, 26 against Wisconsin, and 29 against Oregon—all Washington losses. Field position was not always the Huskies' ally. A confident Green now has the opportunity to change that. 'So if I'm in the running for the Ray Guy Award, then we should be one of the more dominant special-teams units in the country,' he said. 'That's something that I think all comes together as a collective. I want to go out there and make people, when they're playing Washington, know that they're not going to get anything on a punt return.'
Green has appeared in 32 games at his two previous stops, averaging 45.9 yards on 177 career kicks without a single block. His long punt is 72 yards, just 10 shy of the UW record. His father lived long enough to see Hunter become the Northern Colorado punter but died in July 2025 at age 55 from ALS. Now, Green is poised for a big season as the No. 1 punter in his hometown, looking to propel the Huskies into the national conversation and enhance his NFL prospects. Washington cannot succeed without a reliable, long-distance punter.