Mark Stoops reveals secret kicking weapon Jacob Kauwe will take 60-yarders for Cats: "He's going out there."

Remember when Mark Stoops listed Jacob Kauwe as the No. 2 placekicker and kickoff specialist on Kentucky’s season-opening depth chart — quite the statement for a true freshman. The head coach used that opportunity to break the news the Billings, MT native drilled not one, not two, but three 60-yard bombs in practice during fall camp to earn the backup job.

He isn’t taking redshirt senior Alex Raynor‘s job, obviously, but it’s been known from day one Kauwe’s got quite the boot.

“You look at Kauwe behind (Raynor) and man, he has an extremely strong leg. We have a lot of confidence in Alex — I mean, I don’t know what the number will be. But I know Jacob has hit — we’ve tried to 60 [yards] three times, and he hit him all three times. With full units, offense against defense, so we have that as well.”

Raynor hit 10 of 11 field goals in his debut season as a Wildcat, and he’s off to a seven of seven start in 2024 — highlighted by a school-record 55-yarder against No. 1 Georgia this past weekend. Kicking has been the least of Kentucky’s issues this season, a trend Stoops hopes continues going into the last three quarters of the season.

The Kentucky head coach is confident in his starter out to the range he hit against the Bulldogs, maybe even another yard or two.

“That’s about it — 55, 56 or 57 for Alex. He’s just so consistent and so good,” Stoops said Monday night. “I don’t want to jinx him, but he’s seven for seven right now with two 50s (this season). Out to 55 or 56, he’s so good.”

What happens if the Wildcats find themselves in a kicking situation anything beyond that? Insert Kauwe, a guy Stoops is confident throwing into the fire on short notice. He’s earned that opportunity after a remarkable start to his career in Lexington behind the scenes.

“I do have somebody in waiting there. I’ve got somebody in the bullpen that I’ll throw out there at 60, 61 or 62 in Jacob Kauwe,” Stoops said.

SIXTY-TWO?! Sixty-two.

If the Wildcats have a game-winner on the table in the 60-plus yard range, Kauwe is undoubtedly getting the call.

“Man, he still gets a redshirt. He could kick in four games and still get a redshirt, right?” Stoops said. “If we gotta hit a 60-yarder to win the game, he’s going out there.”

Rated as a five-star kicker out of high school, Kauwe once went viral for hitting a 75-yard field goal in a workout. Hopefully it never comes to that, but there’s no question the true freshman’s got an unbelievable leg.

And Stoops is ready to utilize it in game action, if necessary.