Utah State University Athletics

HONORS
Honorable Mention All-Mountain West (2020); Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week (10/15/22); Academic All-Mountain West (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023).

CAREER RECORDS
Has punted 182 times in his career for an average of 42.6 yards, which is the fourth-best average in school history.

SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
Averaged 43.4 yards per punt in 2023, which is tied for the sixth-best single-season average in school history… Punted 67 times for an average of 43.4 yards in 2022, which is the sixth-best average in school history… Punted 53 times for an average of 42.5 yards in 2021, which is the 10th-best single-season average in school history.

SINGLE-GAME RECORDS
Had a career-long 69-yard punt against Idaho State (9/9/23), which is tied for the 16th-longest punt in school history.

2023 (JUNIOR SEASON)
Served as the team’s punter and holder in each of the first six games of the season before missing the rest of the year due to injury… Punted 25 times for an average of 43.4 yards, which is tied for the sixth-best single-season average in school history… Had a career-long 69-yard punt against Idaho State (9/9), which is tied for the 16th-longest punt in school history… Had four punts of 50-plus yards during the year, while eight of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line… Also had seven punts fair caught with only two touchbacks… Earned academic all-Mountain West honors... Named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List.

2022 (SOPHOMORE SEASON)
Served as the team’s punter and holder on extra points and field goals in all 13 games… Punted 67 times for an average of 43.4 year per punt, which is the sixth-best single-season punting average in school history… Was fourth in the Mountain West and 38th in the nation in punting (43.4 ypp)… Had 22 punts of at least 50 yards, including a long of 60, and had 24 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line… Had just eight touchbacks and 16 of his punts were fair caught… Named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his career following his performance at Colorado State (10/15), as he punted five times for an average of 47.2 yards with three 50-yard punts (58, 55, 59), to go along with one punt being downed inside the 20-yard line… Was named to the Ray Guy Award "Ray's 8" list following his performance against Weber State (9/10) as he punted seven times for 320 yards (45.7 ypp), including three punts of at least 50 yards (51, 51, 58), to go along with a career-high-tying five punts downed inside the 20-yard line… Was also named to the Ray Guy Award "Ray's 8" list following his performance at Wyoming (10/22) as he punted eight times for 405 yards (50.6 ypp), including a career-high five 50-yard punts (56, 53, 53, 52 and 59), while three of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line… Punted a career-high-tying 10 times at No. 1 Alabama (9/3), which included a season long of 60 yards… Also completed one pass for 12 yards and had one rush for 10 yards on the season... Earned academic all-MW honors.

2021 (FRESHMAN SEASON)
Served as the team’s punter and holder on extra points and field goals in all 14 games… Punted 53 times for an average of 42.5 yards per punt, which is the ninth-best single-season punting average in school history… Was seventh in the Mountain West and 50th in the nation in punting (42.5 ypp)… Had nine 50-yard punts and 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, while 20 of his punts were fair caught… Only two of his 53 punts resulted in a touchback… Punted twice for an average of 52.0 yards at New Mexico State (11/6)… Had a season-high three punts downed inside the 20-yard line against Colorado State (10/22) as he punted a season-high six times against the Rams… Also had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line against Wyoming (11/20)… Had a season-long 54-yard punt against Boise State (9/25)... Earned academic all-Mountain West honors.

2020 (COVID SEASON)
Earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors as he served as the team’s punter in all six games… Finished the season punting 37 times for an average of 40.7 yards per punt with 17 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line… Also had four punts of at least 50 yards, including a season long of 63 yards, and not one of his punts ended up in the end zone for a touchback… Ranked fourth in the MW and 66th in the nation with his average of 40.7 yards per punt… Earned academic all-Mountain West honors.

HIGH SCHOOL
Played Australian Rules Football for most of his life… From 2012-15, played several seasons with the Surrey Park Panthers Football Club in the Yarra Football League, winning a premiership (championship) in 2013… Played soccer for the Blackburn Football Club in the VCFA between 2015-16… Returned to Aussie Rules football in 2017 and played with the Balwyn Football Club in the Eastern Football League… In 2018, he was introduced to Prokick Australia, an academy in Melbourne that teaches Australians how to punt an American football with the hope of earning a scholarship to play football and study in the United States… Trained with coaches Nathan Chapman and Johnny Smith from 2018-19… Graduated in 2017 from Box Hill High School in Victoria, Australia… Was the 2016 House Captain, 2017 Sports Captain and 2017 Captain of the Year as a senior… Earned the 2017 Academic Excellence Award.

PERSONAL
Son of Ian Hughes and Ratchadar Kotsanlee… Has one brother, Ennis… Originally born in Thani, Thailand, and lived in Singapore... Majoring in exercise science…. Last name is pronounced Kot-sun-lee.