Mark Stoops says plan is to redshirt kicker Jackson Smith

Kentucky kicker Matt Ruffolo is currently hitting a career-low 69.2% of his field goals, just 9-13 on the year. More recently, he’s just 2-5 in the Wildcats’ last three games, including two misses inside 50 yards. He missed each of his lone attempts in the team’s losses against Ole Miss (22-19 final) and South Carolina (24-14 final).

That comes after finishes of 76.9% (10-13) in 2021, 85.7% (12-14) in 2020 and 80% (4-5) in 2019.

Kentucky also has senior kicker Chance Poore on the roster, though he’s just 8-14 (57.1%) during his five years in Lexington. He’s now the team’s kick-off specialist and holder on field goals and PATs.

Elsewhere, though, the Wildcats signed in-state kicker Jackson Smith in the class of 2022, a standout from Boyle County. The 5-foot-11 freshman was ranked as ProKicker.com’s top kicker/punter in his class after earning National Specialist of the Year and All-America honors for three consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021).

Could Mark Stoops consider swapping out Ruffolo for the highly-touted true freshman to close out the season? Don’t count on it.

In fact, that simply won’t happen, Kentucky’s head coach made clear Monday evening. He has faith in Ruffolo and he’ll be the team’s starter down the stretch.

“With Jackson (Smith), the reason we haven’t seen him yet is because Matt (Ruffolo) is our kicker this year,” Stoops said on his call-in radio show. “Until (Smith) beats him out, he won’t kick.”

The goal is to preserve Smith’s redshirt and allow him to take over for Ruffolo when his time at Kentucky comes to a close. That will give Smith a full four seasons to start — assuming he earns and keeps that spot, of course.

Until then, though, don’t expect Stoops to burn the Danville native’s redshirt. You could see him get some clean-up reps if things get out of hand inside his allotted four-game redshirt window, but nothing beyond that. Smith is Kentucky’s kicker of the future, not today.

“I’m not opposed to putting him in there, we’re allowed to play each player in four games or less and keep their redshirt. That’s one reason why, and we’re certainly going to stay under that,” Stoops added. “At some point it wouldn’t be bad getting him an extra point or a field goal if it’s at a time in the game where it’s irrelevant, just to give him some game experience.

“I would be open for that, but Ruffolo is our starter, so that’s why. We’ll continue to let Jackson get better and get stronger and improve.”

That answers that.