Kicker Chance Poore is back for a sixth season. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Is Alex Raynor going to be the answer to the kicking game problems that Kentucky had in 2022?
He announced his transfer/commitment to Kentucky Sunday after spending three years at Georgia Southern who made 45 of 59 field goals and 110 of 113 extra points. Last year he hit 18 of 20 field goals and 49 of 50 extra points.
Raynor had initially announced he was transferring to Memphis in January but now apparently is headed to Kentucky.
Indications are Raynor will be a walk-on at Kentucky and not a scholarship kicker but if new special teams coordinator Jay Boulware in bringing him to Lexington, you would have to think he believes Raynor has at least a chance to be UK’s kicker.
Matt Ruffolo was UK’s primary field goal and extra point kicker last season but he graduated, Chance Moore is back for a sixth season and was highly recruited out of Alabama but he’s been used mainly on kickoffs to take advantage of his strong leg.
Redshirt freshman Jackson Smith of Boyle County was a five-star recruit who can handle placekicking or punting. He’s never really had his chance to showcase what he can do in games yet and primarily has been projected as a placekicker. Where he fits into Boulware’s plan is not exactly known but he could be an option for either job.
Kentucky also returns scholarship punter Wilson Berry and Boulware has added two walk-on high school kickers and another kicker from the transfer portal. It could be a crowded specialist room but remember Poore, Berry and Smith are the only three on scholarship at this time.
Raynor’s career long field goal is 47 yards and it seems he would battle Poore and Smith for the No. 1 job while Berry and Smith could battle for the punting job.
