2024 Kentucky Kicker Commit Jacob Kauwe Ready For The Biggest Stage in College Football
It’s not every day that a kicker earns a full-ride scholarship straight out of high school.
However, for Jacob Kauwe, a three-star kicker from Billings West (Billings, MT), that opportunity came in June and he jumped right on it, committing just days later.
“It was pretty, pretty crazy,” Kauwe told KSR+. “Coming in as a freshman with a full-ride, it’s a lot of pressure. I’ve got to come in and prove myself. I’ve got to be worthy of that. It was an honor that they think that highly of me and they think I can come in and help out their program.”
Yet, the scholarship offer wasn’t the only factor for Kauwe in his decision to commit to Kentucky.
“It just came down to the two biggest things that were important to me,” he said. “I wanted to play at the biggest stage and I wanted to go to the place with the best opportunity to help me develop. The SEC is the biggest stage in college football. It’s the SEC.”
Kauwe’s Relationship with the Staff
Kauwe also pointed to his relationship with Kentucky special teams coordinator Jay Boulware as a key point in his decision.
“His track record with specialists and the places he’s been in the past is top-notch and the best there is,” Kauwe said. “He’s gotten guys to the league. He makes people better once they get there. That was really important to me. From the first conversation my dad and I had with him, he led with that we’re going to get you to be that dude once you get here. You’re good now, we’re going to make you great.”
Kauwe’s strong bond with the coaching staff was further highlighted on his visit in June, being shown around campus by special teams quality control coach Mike Priefer.
“They’re amazing dudes and they’re really, really intelligent and respectable with regards to how they can get me better,” Kauwe said. “They analyze the game, analyze the kicking part of it, and know as much, if not more than I do. That was really nice to hit it off and learn the intricacies of training. We’re really excited to get to work. Everyone on staff and all the players there – it was a really cool environment that Coach [Mark] Stoops has built there. I really loved it. Everyone was really, really cool.”
Coming in Ready to Compete
With a full-ride scholarship coming in as a freshman, Jacob Kauwe is ready to earn his stripes.
“I really felt at home in the environment, but also I’m coming in from day one and competing for my spot to play on game days,” Kauwe said. “It’s a great environment and I’m really excited to live in it and be around it. I felt at home while I was there. It’s a grind from day one, so I’m just coming in ready to work.”
That feeling at home was largely brought on by what Kauwe called “the family-ness of the entire program.”
“[Coach Mark Stoops] is very in tune with the needs and wants of his players and staff. He’s built a really, really good culture,” Kauwe said. “I’m excited to walk into that where it felt like everyone cared about everyone from the top to the bottom. It was just a brotherhood with camaraderie.”
Kauwe is part of a Kentucky 2024 recruiting class that despite being ranked No. 14 in the SEC, ranks No. 36 in the nation.
“I saw they were bringing in some dudes,” Kauwe said. “There was a stretch there where they couldn’t miss. Everyone they were talking to was coming in. I know Coach Boulware’s needs at running back and it looked like they brought in a lot of dudes on the defensive side of the ball. I don’t know any of them personally. There’s not a lot of Kentucky commits out in Montana.”
Jacob Kauwe’s Game
Jacob Kauwe of Billings West (MT) is currently unranked by On3, but is rated by 247Sports as the No. 6 kicker in the class of 2024.
Kauwe said he has all the traits you look for in a kicker.
“I have a leg and I’m consistent,” he said. “Those are really what you need. I’m just working every day to maximize that leg and get it more and more consistent.”
With his technique down pat as well, Kauwe is now focused on the small details of kicking.
“It’s the angles and how the wind swirls at this stadium,” he said. “If the flags are moving that much up there, is it moving the same at ground level? How much does it swirl above the uprights? I’ve got a lot of the technique down. I’m always drilling and I’m always keeping it fresh because if you don’t do it then you lose it. It’s just getting my spatial surroundings figured out before every kick. Every kick is a new one.”
Looking Back on the Recruiting Process
With the recruiting process now behind him, Kauwe looks back on the last two months as some of his favorites.
“I’m glad it’s over, but I’m also glad I got to experience it,” he said. “Not a lot of people do. It was a really, really, really cool couple of months.”
As for other kicking recruits, Kauwe encourages them to take a deep look at schools before committing to attend camps.
“I went to places that were looking at me as a punter when I love to kick. I didn’t know that until it was too late,” he said. “That was a big draw for Kentucky too. They were looking at me as a kicker. That’s what I love and that’s what I believe I am. Go to where you’re wanted and needed. Don’t chase the big names. That would be my main advice.”
His Goals for Kentucky
Jacob Kauwe has a simple goal for his time at Kentucky: don’t miss.
“That’s the goal as a kicker, right? Do everything in my power to help us win games,” he said. “I’m just stepping in, ready to work, and ready to help us win games. Being the best me I can be and kicking the best I can kick is the way I can help our team do that.”
And with Kauwe coming from Montana, he wants Kentucky fans to know he’s ready for Big Blue Nation.
“Don’t expect me to roll up in a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. I’m not that type of Montana,” he said. “I’m just ready to come in and work and I’m ready to come in and win some games in some packed stadiums with really cool fans. That’s what I’m excited for.”
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