Oliver Straw, UAB P: the 2026 season story
Oliver Straw is a senior punter for UAB (American Athletic). He ranks 13th of 232 punters in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every punter on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Oliver Straw's strongest measure is gross punt average at 46.6, 17th of 134 (the average is 43.6). His weakest is inside the 20 at 37%, 55th of 134 (the average is 35%).
Against every punter
Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of punter he is. Among ranked punters he sits, on average, in the 87th percentile for efficiency and 56th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 7 games, Oliver Straw's best came in week 5 against Samford and his quietest in week 3 at Louisiana.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.
National and conference
Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Oliver Straw is 12th of 134 FBS punters and 2nd of 14 in the American Athletic. Next up nationally is Curtis Gerrand of UCLA, 0.02 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. Past seasons show whether this year is a breakout, a steady climb or a step back. His best season by the Player Index was 2023 at West Virginia, 13th of 232 punters.
Punters like him
Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Oscar Bird of Ole Miss.
