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Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has made recruiting Kentucky and Ohio his top priority but he’s always said if he got a chance to expand Kentucky’s recruiting base he would do so.
However, did I ever think he would be getting a commitment from a player in Montana? Absolutely not.
Yet that is just what UK did Tuesday when five-star kicker/punter Jacob Kauwe of Billings, Montana, verbally committed to the Wildcats. The 6-2, 200-pound Kauwe visited Kentucky last week, got his scholarship offer and made his college choice Tuesday probably due to the recruiting efforts of running backs/special teams coach Jay Boulware.
He is ranked as the nation’s No. 28 kicker and No. 17 punter. He visited Oklahoma, Oregon State and Duke. He also had a scholarship offer from Montana State.
Kohl’s Kicking noted he has a soccer background and in his evaluation posted that “his leg strength is unique and as strong as some in the NFL. Kauwe is from a state that is not highly recruited but he has the tools to compete with anyone in the country.”
Kohl’s Kicking watched him hit multiple 80-yard kickoffs at one showcase where he was also 12-for-15 on field goals. He also had a 70-yard punt with 4.4 seconds of hang time.
Kentucky has three kickers on scholarship this year — senior Chance Poore, redshirt freshman Jackson Smith and sophomore Wilson Berry.
