Texas kicker commit Nick Jordan participated in the 2012 US Army All-American game (Photo by the author).
Name: Nick Jordan
Position: Kicker
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Speed: N/A
High school: Coppell
Rating (Rivals): Two out of five (5.4)
Nick Jordan Army Game Interview (via GhostofBigRoy84)
From the Army game:
Nick Jordan punted for Coppell last season, but doesn't look like a natural punter at this point, as he struggled to drive the football. In comparison, local product Ethan Perry was booming spirals down the field and the TCU commit looked worthy of the scholarship offer he received from the Horned Frogs. At times, he was able to get strong height and distance on his kickoffs, but sometimes left his kicks too flat.
ESPN evaluation ($):
Nick has one of the strongest legs in the 2012 class. He needs to prove he can kick field goals off the ground. He hit a 77 yard, 4.25 kickoff at a recent Kohl's Camp. His field goal technique has become better but he needs to shorten his approach to become finished. He has become more consistent to match his outstanding kickoffs His leg strength is at a D1 level. Field goals have improved, his height is excellent, and it will be exciting to see how much better he can get. The ball explodes off his foot as fast as anyone in the 2012 class. He made a 65 yard field goal in 55 degree temps with 0-5 mph tailwind at the Underclassman Challenge in the finals of the field goal competition. Nick should compete early in college for playing time.
Texas has had some mixed success since Mack Brown started offering scholarships to kickers and punters -- Hunter Lawrence and Justin Tucker worked out well, while Trevor Gerland and Will Russ didn't work out so well, though Russ still has some time to get that turned around.
So there was some trepidation initially about extending the offer to Jordan. However, the limited viewing at the Army game, the evaluation above by ESPN, and the fact that Jordan hit a field goal of more than 60 yards at the Texas summer camp last year help assuage those fears somewhat.
Jordan should come in and compete for the kickoff job immediately, but needs to work on consistently getting ideal depth and hangtime, not a particularly easy task. The placekicking job is obviously open as well and it's a good sign there that Jordan has some experience getting off the ground, though he did kick off a tie during live competition at Coppell. As far as punting goes, that's probably the weakest aspect of his game as a kicker, but he is going to work with a punting coach this summer in an effort to compete for that job as well, with the edge probably going to preferred walk-on Nick Rose in that area at the moment.
At this point, with all three kicking jobs open, it makes sense to throw some bodies and hope that one or two stick and Jordan was probably worthy of an offer based on his offer list and his pure leg strength. Still, the hope is that he's much more Justin Tucker than Will Russ.
0 recs | 8 comments
Special teams are really important.
Really hope this guy can become a weapon for us.
We are going to need him to do work for us next year.
AlDe2356 - January 31, 2012
Could be the most important recruit of the entire class right here
Don’t get me wrong, there’s other players in this class that get us all more excited. But barring a turnover, your kicker touches the ball on every possession.
Oh and by the way, we don’t have a kicker right now.
Mr. Jordan, welcome to the 40.
windycityhorn - January 31, 2012
australia
That’s where we should recruit kickers. LSU got wing from australia he’s incredible. Heard that how a lot of football players are there. I guess they pass with their foot so I would say their prretty accurate.
susuata - January 31, 2012
Mixed Success?
We may have missed on a schollie or 2 but the kickers Mack has brought in have been absolutely nails in the big situations. We have had more success on big kicks than any program I can think of. Can’t remember a single “wide right” in a game situation. God bless Tucker, Lawrence, Magnum for the memories that their clutch exploits provided. David Pino – you are forgive we won anyway.
realmccoy - January 31, 2012
Agree with your point
But GOBR is saying mixed success in terms of kickers that we ve recruited and offered, which is only 4. 2 great ones, one bust and one incomplete.
One thing I always think gets overlooked is the clutch FG kicking under Brown (as you said) and his ability to get them to relax right before a kick.
Kicker is such an important part of the game, I’d like to see us sign a scholly kicker every other year.
Horncasting - January 31, 2012 via mobile
I just hope
he can kick the freaking ball out of the end zone
HookemHouston - January 31, 2012
We've had great PK success under Mack
Walk-on or scholly. Both have succeeded.
Lawrence won us a spot in the MNC game with a bomb against the Pellini’s. Bailey, a walk-on, beat Nebraska the first time he stepped on the field field. A year later, he kicked a no-time-left FG to cap a 24-point closing burst as we beat Oklahoma State by 3.
Mangum kicked a 0:00 FG to beat Michigan. Tucker put the final nail in Aggie’s coffin. Lawrence kicked three FGs and scored 10 of our 16 points to beat OU in ’09. I could go on.
I’d like to see a veteran land the FG job. A little ice-water in the veins, that kind of thing. I worry more about KOs than punts. With punts, you can kick high and short, you can kick OOB, you can kick away from the return man. And on punts, you can kick the ball to the strength of the coverage unit.
Boy, do I like the sound of a 77-yard, 4.25-second hang time kickoff. Gimme!!!!!
edsp - January 31, 2012
Looks like he could be Mike Leach’s spawn.
Teamdirtyleg - January 31, 2012
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