MISSOULA — After the best season by a punter in Montana football history, Brian Buschini is moving on with an eye at the FBS level.
Buschini announce on Twitter that he was entering the transfer portal on Monday afternoon, just a few hours after he was named the FCS punter of the year by the Augusta Sports Council, who also gives out the Ray Guy Award to the best punter in the FBS every year.
Buschini confirmed his transfer with MTN Sports on Monday afternoon.
Congratulations to our winner of the 2021 FCS Punter of the Year Award, Brian Buschini of @UMGRIZZLIES!#FCSFootball #FCSPunteroftheYear pic.twitter.com/opEPwxGSUC
— FCS Punter of the Year (@FCSPunterofYear) December 13, 2021
"Thank you for everything Griz nation, you all have supported me so much throughout the season!" Buschini wrote on Twitter. "Thank you to my teammates, especially OD (Matthew O'Donoghue), Kevin (Macias), Carver (Gilman), Grayson (Pibal), and Camden (Capser) for 'just kickin it' every day with me! I will hold my time here at Montana dear and close to my heart the rest of my life! My wife and I have decided to enter the transfer portal to pursue my lifelong dream of playing FBS football and try to win the Ray Guy award!"
As of Monday afternoon, Buschini had already tweeted that he received a full scholarship offer to punt at Nebraska.
A former walk-on from Helena Capital, Buschini, dubbed "Boomschini" by fans, flipped the field at a high rate beginning with Montana's win over Washington to start the season. The redshirt freshman often led the year in punt average and currently sits in third in the FCS with 46 yards per punt. That broke the UM school record set by Mike Rice in 1985 of 44.69 yards per punt. Buschini also sets the school record of career yards per punt with a mark of 45.8, topping Rice's mark of 42.56 from 1985-86.
Two weeks ago, Buschini caught up with MTN Sports and explained how he rapidly grew in punting and what makes a good punter.
In 69 punts this year, Buschini put opponents inside the 20-yard line 30 times, and had 28 punts go over 50 yards. Opponents fair caught 25 punts from him and he only had four touchbacks on the year.
Buschini also handled kickoff duties at UM with 75 on the year.
Buschini became married this fall to the former Kellie Van Kirk, a Griz volleyball player who hails from Manhattan Christian.
