| No. 14 – New York Jets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Punter |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2001-02-24)February 24, 2001 (age 24)[1] San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 204 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Highland(Gilbert, Arizona) |
| College | Texas Tech (2019–2023) |
| NFL draft | 2024: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Austin McNamara (born February 24, 2001)[1] is an American professionalfootballpunter for theNew York Jets of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theTexas Tech Red Raiders.
McNamara was born inSan Jose, California, and grew up inGilbert, Arizona.[2] He attendedHighland High School in Arizona where he played basketball and football.[3] Aplacekicker andpunter, he averaged 42 yards-per-punt, made 12field goals and all 63 of hisextra point attempts as asenior, being named first-team all-state.[2][4] Ranked as the best punter recruit nationally, McNamara committed to playcollege football for theTexas Tech Red Raiders.[5]
McNamara won the starting job at Texas Tech as a truefreshman in 2019 and averaged 45.0 yards per punt, which was then fourth all-time in school history, second in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that year among freshmen, and second in theBig 12 Conference.[2] He was selected a FreshmanAll-American and a first-team All-Big 12 player.[6]
The following year, McNamara played nine games and punted 41 times while averaging 46.3 yards per punt, then second all-time in Texas Tech history and fifth in theFBS; he was named first-team All-Big 12 again and second-team All-Texas byDave Campbell's Texas Football.[2] In a game againstWest Virginia that season, he recorded a 87-yard punt which broke both the team and Big 12 records.[7][8]
In 2021, McNamara set both the Texas Tech and Big 12 all-time record with a 48.2 yard punting average while playing all 13 games, additionally setting an NCAA single-game record during the year for most 50-yard punts in a game.[2][9][10] He was a second-team all-conference selection and was named first-team All-Texas byDave Campbell's Texas Football, also being named the bestspecial teams player in the state by the publication.[2][11]
McNamara totaled 50 punts and averaged 44.3 yards as a senior in 2022, being named third-team All-Big 12 byPhil Steele andPro Football Focus.[2] He returned for a final season in 2023, having received an extra year of eligibility due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[12] He averaged 46.3 yards per punt in his last year, being named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year, the first Texas Tech player to receive the honor, as well as first-team All-Big 12.[13] He was one of two punters invited to play at the2024 Senior Bowl, and the second Texas Tech punter all-time.[14]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) | 10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) | |||||||||
| All values fromPro Day[15] | ||||||||||||
After going unselected in the2024 NFL draft, McNamara was signed by theCincinnati Bengals as anundrafted free agent.[16][17] He was waived on August 7.[18]
On March 14, 2025, McNamara signed with theNew York Jets.[19]
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