Dylan Joyce saw action in all 13 games as a punter for University of Miami last year after being a star for Moama in the Murray League. Photo: Miami Hurricanes.
Three Kyabram footballers will begin the American college football season as starting punters next week.
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Makenzie Ryan will join University of Louisiana Monroe as a Freshman this year, following the path forged by Nathan Torney (now with the Univeristy of Louisiana Lafayette) and Dylan Joyce (University of Miami).
Ryan will be a Warhawk, while Torney crosses to the Ragin Cajuns from Southern Illinois Salukis, where he has spent the last two years.
Joyce will be a Sophomore with the Hurricanes after a celebrated start to his American football career.
McKenzie’s first game is on Thursday, August 29 against Jackson State at Monroe’s Malone Stadium.
ULM will play two of their biggest games on September 21 at Texas (against the Longhorns) and on November 19 at Auburn. Both games are expected to attract in the vicinity of 100,000 people.
Former Kyabram and Tongala footballer Makenzie Ryan as he appears on the University of Louisana Monroe’s football website.
The Warhawks return to Austin for the first time since the 2022 season and are 0-2 versus the Longhorns in history. ULM is set to travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time since 2017. Auburn has won all 11 matchups versus the Warhawks in the series history.
Joyce’s Hurricanes play their first game on August 31 against Florida State.
He saw action in all 13 games last season, having a 43.8 yard average on 43 punts, landing three inside the 20-yard line and with a longest punt of 60 yards.
Nathan Torney has changed universities this season and will now play with University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Photo: University of Louisiana, Lafayette.
Torney’s Ragin Cajuns will play on August 31 at Iowa and he has been featured on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s website.
The site explains Kyabram’s connection to the sport, having sent punters previously to North Carolina and Central Michigan.
“It’s a pretty tight brotherhood, because we all play the same position,” Torney said.
Former Ragin Cajuns punting star, and fellow Aussie, Rhys Byrns has offered encouragement to Torney upon visiting the Cajuns.
Torney is almost surprised about how well his experience has gone in Lafayette.
“I love the culture here and the manners and the politeness of everybody here,” he said.
“It kind of reminds me a bit of home. I come from a country town and this has the country feel. The people are so friendly.”
Torney hopes to improve on his initial seasons in America, when he averaged 36.8 yards on 35 punts with a long of 58 two years ago and 39.8 yards on 54 punts last season with a long of 64.
University of Louisana at Lafayette was previously home to basketball star Shaquille O’Neale.
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