Hunter Green, Washington’s Punting Solution

Washington had a punting problem in 2025. Luke Dunne’s net average of 34.9 yards per punt ranked 169th in college football. That’s near the bottom of the 198 college football players who attempted at least one punt all season, non-punters included. There were two games this season where the Huskies didn’t need a punter. But in the other 11, Dunne attempted a total of 34 punts, pinning just eight inside the 20-yard line. The sub-25% rate of punts downed inside the 20-yard line was the worst percentage among punters in the Big Ten Conference. 

Washington’s Punting Problem

Situationally, hang time is incredibly important. On the year, Dunne averaged 3.9 seconds per punt. That ranks just outside the top third of college football and eighth in the conference among punters with a minimum of 20 attempts. It wasn’t terrible, but there were several occasions this season where low hang time negatively impacted field position. That was seen most clearly in the road trip to Wisconsin.

Dunne punted five times with an average hang time of only 3.35 seconds in the road loss. The deepest punt in that game gave Wisconsin possession at its own 37-yard line, and the other four of those punts did not reach Badger territory. Wisconsin’s starting field position after receiving a punt in that game was, on average, the Washington 48-yard line. Dunne’s net of 29.8 yards against the Badgers was his second-lowest of the year. In the opening game against Colorado State, he punted twice with an average net of 29 yards. The issue of flipping the field with the punt was a significant contributor to Washington’s 118th national ranking in opponent starting field position (own 30-yard line).

Big Ten football games can be won and lost with special teams. The three-point upset loss in Madison is a prime example of that. But the Huskies have acquired a possible solution in the transfer portal.

Hunter Green, Punting Solution

Hunter Green punted almost twice as much for San Diego State last year as Dunne did for Washington. On 63 attempts, Green averaged a net of 41.4 yards per punt, which ranked 40th among all college football players who attempted a minimum of one punt. If you set a minimum of 20 attempts, that net yardage ranks inside the top 30 nationally. Green averaged 46.9 gross yards per punt, good for second-best in the Mountain West and 10th nationally, again using a minimum 20 punt attempts. All this to say that Green’s boot has the power to flip field position.

In terms of field position, Green downed 30 of his 63 punts inside the 20-yard line last season. That number is good for fourth nationally. Of those 63 punts, Green and his special teams unit allowed just 17 return attempts for a total of 139 yards (8.2 yards per return). 

These numbers indicate a quality hang time, which is exactly what Green has. In 2025, the Redmond, Washington native averaged 4.12 seconds of hang time per punt. On a national level, that time ranks inside the top 20 among all punters in the FBS. There were five games this year where Green’s average hang time was greater than 4.45 seconds. The combination of leg strength and accuracy is what separates Green as one of the nation’s top punters. He was named a second-team All-Mountain West punter after his 2,959-yard punting performance in 2025.

Punting Style

Green is a traditional, pro-style punter. That’s opposed to the Australian style that Dunne utilized last year. Australian punting is slightly different in that the ball is typically dropped with the nose at a sharper angle towards the ground, such that the kick generates end-over-end spin. This can help with accuracy and directional bounce downfield. Green has shown a great ability to “pooch” kick punts in his career in a similar manner for down field accuracy in short-field situations. But overall, he utilizes a pro-style kick where the ball is dropped on a flatter plane, intended to create a spiral and generate distance.

In a slight variation to the pro-style, Green also has a roll-out style in his bag. Prior to his lone season at San Diego State, he played for Northern Colorado. There, he recorded a 70-yard pro-style punt and a 72-yard roll-out punt. A couple of extra steps on a rollout can buy an extra few tenths of a second for the protection to get downfield. It can potentially add a few yards to the net field position as well. This versatility can make a significant impact on field position depending on the situation.

In two seasons at Northern Colorado, Green averaged 45.1 yards per punt. He averaged 46.9 yards per kick as an Aztec, and he’ll have one season of eligibility in purple and gold.