Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | PUNT | YDS | AVG | LONG | IN20 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 16-52@ Indiana | 2 | 78 | 39.0 | 42 | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 44-6vs UNLV | 3 | 126 | 42.0 | 50 | 1 | |
| Total | 5 | 204 | 40.5 | 50 | 2 |
#37
Ian Ratliff
Senior punter for North Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 185 lb · Humble, TX · Atascocita HS
Transferred App State → North Texas for 2026
The numbers
40.8
yards per punt · 2026
5 punts · long of 50 · 2 inside the 20
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 punts, 39 avg, at Indiana
The story
4 punter for North Texas. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from App State to North Texas in 2026.
Ian Ratliff
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane. Across three seasons and three programs, three head coaches: Steve Sarkisian, Dowell Loggains and Neal Brown. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
202513 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Eric Morris, Drew Svoboda, and Neal Brown. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to North Texas
2025App State
2026North Texas
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Texas13-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced
2025App State5-8HC: Dowell Loggains · Pass-leaning
2026North Texas1-1HC: Neal Brown · Run-leaning
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Not enough tracked stats yet to summarize this season.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Neal Brown
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 44–6
vs UNLV
3 NO · 126 YDS · 42 AVG
Dominant 38-point win at home against UNLV.
With T. Jackson — 233 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 74.9 · 15 rush yds (7 car) · 1 TD · J. White — 124 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Steady
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane.
P
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jake Ference’s 2025 season.
Matches Jake on
Yards / punt
In-20 rate
Weight
Differs from Jake on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Damon Greaves's sophomore season at Kansas (2024).
65%match
Matches Damon on
In-20 rate
Yards / punt
Weight
Differs from Damon on
Class year (lower)
Height (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Ian Ratliff
Background
Prior to UNT: Spent the 2025 season at App State … saw action in all 13 games and served as the primary punter for the Mountaineers … punted 56 times for 2,454 yards with an average of 43.8 yards per punt and a long of 70 … was on the Ray Guy Award Watch List to start the season ... placed 10 pun...
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology