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Mitch Wishnowsky Drafted In Fourth Round By San Francisco
4/27/2019 10:34 AM | Football
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Utah All-American punter Mitch Wishnowsky was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round with the 110th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft today.Â
Wishnowsky is the first Utah punter taken in the draft since 1979 when Rick Partridge was drafted in the eighth round (208thoverall pick) by Green Bay. Wishnowsky is just the third Ute punter ever drafted by an NFL team, joining Partridge and Marv Bateman, who was drafted 78thoverall in the third round by Buffalo in 1972.Â
He was the first punter to be picked in this year's draft and the highest drafted punter since 2012 when California's Bryan Anger went to Jacksonville in the third round with the 70th overall pick.Â
With both Wishnowsky and Matt Gay getting drafted, it is the first time since 1985 that a punter and a kicker from the same school were drafted in the same year. Clemson's punter Dale Hatcher was drafted in the third round to the Rams with Clemson's kicker, Donald Igwebuike, getting drafted in the 10thround to Tampa in 1985. It is also the first time since 2005 that a punter and a kicker were drafted in the first 150 picks.Â
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Wishnowsky is the first Pac-12 punter taken in the NFL draft since 2013 when UCLA's Jeff Locke was drafted in the fifth round by Minnesota with the 155thoverall pick. He is the seventh Ute to be drafted by the 49ers in school history.Â
The Perth, Australia native is a three-time All-American, the 2016 Ray Guy Award winner and the only three-time Ray Guy Award finalist in NCAA history. He was also a three-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection.
Wishnowsky finished with 62 career punts of 50-plus yards (second all-time at Utah), 175 career punts (fourth) and 8,004 punt yards (sixth).Â
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After starting his career at Santa Barbara Community College, Wishnowsky came to Utah in 2016, immediately establishing himself as the best punter in the nation. He was a unanimous consensus All-American in his first season, winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter.Â
He led the nation in net punting (44.63), 50-plus yard punts (30) and punts inside the 10-yard line (17) in 2016 while ranking second nationally in punt average (47.7), punts inside the 20-yard line (34) and percentage of punts inside the 20 (53.13). His 30 punts for 50-plus yards set a school record while his 47.7 punt averaged ranks third all-time in a season at Utah.Â
In 2017, he was a second-team All-American by Walter Camp and the FWAA and earned third team AP All-America honors. Wishnowsky ranked sixth in the nation in net punting (42.2) and was second in the Pac-12 in punt average (43.9).Â
As a senior, Wishnowsky was a second-team All-American by Walter Camp, AP and the AFCA. He ranked second in the Pac-12 and 10thnationally in punt average (45.2), finishing with 24 punts inside the 20-yard-line, 20 punts for 50-plus yards and was 2-of-2 on fake punts for first downs.Â
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Wishnowsky is the first Utah punter taken in the draft since 1979 when Rick Partridge was drafted in the eighth round (208thoverall pick) by Green Bay. Wishnowsky is just the third Ute punter ever drafted by an NFL team, joining Partridge and Marv Bateman, who was drafted 78thoverall in the third round by Buffalo in 1972.Â
He was the first punter to be picked in this year's draft and the highest drafted punter since 2012 when California's Bryan Anger went to Jacksonville in the third round with the 70th overall pick.Â
With both Wishnowsky and Matt Gay getting drafted, it is the first time since 1985 that a punter and a kicker from the same school were drafted in the same year. Clemson's punter Dale Hatcher was drafted in the third round to the Rams with Clemson's kicker, Donald Igwebuike, getting drafted in the 10thround to Tampa in 1985. It is also the first time since 2005 that a punter and a kicker were drafted in the first 150 picks.Â
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ÂPUNTERS ARE 4TH ROUNDERS TOO!@mitchwish gets selected by the @49ers as the 110th pick in the 2019 #NFLDraft! pic.twitter.com/1rhMK0gfDI
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) April 27, 2019
Wishnowsky is the first Pac-12 punter taken in the NFL draft since 2013 when UCLA's Jeff Locke was drafted in the fifth round by Minnesota with the 155thoverall pick. He is the seventh Ute to be drafted by the 49ers in school history.Â
The Perth, Australia native is a three-time All-American, the 2016 Ray Guy Award winner and the only three-time Ray Guy Award finalist in NCAA history. He was also a three-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection.
Wishnowsky finished with 62 career punts of 50-plus yards (second all-time at Utah), 175 career punts (fourth) and 8,004 punt yards (sixth).Â
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Â#ForTheBrand??
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 27, 2019
The #49ers have selected punter @mitchwish with the 110th overall pick.#49ersDraft x #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/u0rYaXv5Oz
After starting his career at Santa Barbara Community College, Wishnowsky came to Utah in 2016, immediately establishing himself as the best punter in the nation. He was a unanimous consensus All-American in his first season, winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter.Â
He led the nation in net punting (44.63), 50-plus yard punts (30) and punts inside the 10-yard line (17) in 2016 while ranking second nationally in punt average (47.7), punts inside the 20-yard line (34) and percentage of punts inside the 20 (53.13). His 30 punts for 50-plus yards set a school record while his 47.7 punt averaged ranks third all-time in a season at Utah.Â
In 2017, he was a second-team All-American by Walter Camp and the FWAA and earned third team AP All-America honors. Wishnowsky ranked sixth in the nation in net punting (42.2) and was second in the Pac-12 in punt average (43.9).Â
As a senior, Wishnowsky was a second-team All-American by Walter Camp, AP and the AFCA. He ranked second in the Pac-12 and 10thnationally in punt average (45.2), finishing with 24 punts inside the 20-yard-line, 20 punts for 50-plus yards and was 2-of-2 on fake punts for first downs.Â
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