Jacob Kauwe is Kentucky's big-leg starter -- but 'we got a couple (kickers) we're looking at'

Jacob Kauwe was like the shiny new toy of Kentucky‘s special teams unit as a true freshman, regularly drilling 60-yard field goals in practice to show off the five-star upside he came in with as a kicker. That was after going viral for booting an absurd 75-yarder back home in Montana before his arrival. Alex Raynor was the guy, obviously, finishing his career making 25 of 27 field goals and 74 of 76 extra points while earning First Team All-SEC accolades in 2024. If the Wildcats needed a big leg in emergency situations, though, Kauwe was your guy.

That’s no longer the case with Raynor out of eligibility and Kauwe stepping in as the starting kicker in 2025, earning the nod on the first game week depth chart of the season on Monday. He’s listed ahead of Sacramento State transfer Zach Schreiner, a senior out of Rocklin, CA, Stoops going with youth over experience.

It’s not a permanent move if he doesn’t earn it, though. Bar tricks don’t win you games in the SEC — Kauwe needs to consistently hit the chip shots, not just rely on his distance for highlight makes on occasion. That’s the balance Stoops is trying to find going into the season.

“Kauwe has a big leg and he’s a young guy,” he said during his call-in show Monday evening. “He’s a redshirt freshman, but heck, he can hit it from 60 or 61. Hopefully he’ll be a good weapon for us. We’re still looking to have the consistency that we need there, but he has a big leg and I think he has great upside.”

On the flip side, Schreiner earned honorable mention all-Big Sky honors last season after making 19 of 23 field goals and going a perfect 40 for 40 on extra points. He may not have the record-setting leg in terms of distance, but the super senior is accurate and reliable.

That’s why Stoops isn’t tied down to Kauwe. He wants to give him a shot, but the redshirt freshman could get the hook if the misses start piling up. Early momentum is crucial in the kicking game.

“We got a couple guys that we’re looking at. We’ll see,” Stoops said. “I need to have that consistency. I’m excited to watch these guys go play.”

The safe play aligns with Stoops’ comments earlier in the day about the special teams unit being a bright spot in 2024 and wanting to build upon that. Raynor wasn’t talked about much last year because he was automatic, and that’s how he likes it.

If he has to talk about Kauwe this year — especially in the early weeks of the season — it probably means things aren’t going well.

“Well, we have to go out and prove it again, and that’s the thing. Overall, the special teams have been extremely solid, not only with the kickers but with the coverage units, and the protections, and all that. We have to do another very good job this year,” he said. “Generally, when we’re doing well on special teams, we don’t talk about it in here, so let’s hope it’s quiet in here that way, right?”