Kentucky Football will have a new Kicker, but it might not be who you think

Kentucky kicker Alex Raynor attempts a field goal at Ole Miss, via Mont Dawson, KSR

This offseason, Kentucky said sayonara to the most accurate field goal kicker in school history. Alex Raynor made 25-27 field goal attempts over two seasons in Lexington. The Georgia Southern transfer set UK and SEC records with a 92.6 field goal percentage.

Those are pretty big shoes to fill. Who is next up?

There’s one guy with a very big leg that has intrigued Big Blue Nation since he arrived in Lexington. Jacob Kauwe shared a video from a training session where he hit a 75-yard field goal. Mark Stoops added more fuel to the intrigue when the head coach shared that Kauwe hit three 60-yarders in practice ahead of the 2024 season.

Kentucky intended to use Kauwe in 2024 for long-range field goals, but never felt the need to pull the trigger. After all, Raynor hit a school-record 55-yarder against Georgia. Kauwe redshirted, pointing toward a special teams succession plan. That succession plan may have changed.

Something got lost in the shuffle in May when Zach Schreiner shared that he committed to Kentucky. Schreiner is a placekicker who began his career in the California JUCO ranks before moving up to the FCS level to play for Sacramento State. Over two seasons, Schreiner made 33-42 field goals (78.6%) and all 89 extra point attempts. He also handled all kickoff duties for the Hornets.

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It’s unclear exactly what Schreiner’s role is expected to be in Lexington. Schreiner is not currently listed on the UK roster. Punter Aidan Laros handled kickoff duties last fall. Wilson Berry is returning for another season after the backup punter primarily served as a holder. Is Schreiner going to handle kickoffs? Is he accuracy insurance for Kauwe’s big leg?

Special teams once nearly cost the Cats games, but they have been a strength in recent years. Kentucky ranks No. 14 in special teams SP+ rankings entering the 2025 season. The motives behind this move are unclear, but for Kentucky to win in the margins, special teams must remain a strength in 2025.

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