Punter Kalen Jones Commits to UCLA Football, Becomes Third Incoming Special Teamer

The Bruins are adding three five-star kickers and punters who trained under former All-American Chris Sailer.

For the second week in a row, the Bruins have added another body to their special teams group.

Class of 2022 punter Kalen Jones committed to UCLA football Monday morning, he announced on Twitter. Jones is the third preferred walk-on specialist to join the Bruins' incoming freshman class, following punter Chase Barry and kicker Michael James.

Barry committed back in December, when tight ends coach Derek Sage was still special teams coordinator, while James committed on Feb. 5. Sage left to become Nevada's offensive coordinator in January, and there has not been a special teams coordinator named since.

Jones thanked new outside linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe and Director of Player Personnel Ethan Young in his commitment post, meaning those two are likely the ones taking charge in building a new-look special teams unit under coach Chip Kelly.

COMMITTED!!!🐻🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/Rx4Ziz9rrd

— Kalen Jones (@kalenjones93) February 14, 2022

All three of the incoming specialists are rated as five-star prospects from Chris Sailer Kicking, as all three have worked out at the former UCLA All-American's exclusive camps in the past.

This past fall at Eastlake High School (CA) in Chula Vista, Jones punted 20 times for 931 yards – good for an average of 46.6 yards per attempt – with a long of 60 and three inside the 20. He also held down kickoff duties, picking up 10 touchbacks and 34.4 yards per attempt on his 30 tries, as well as going 5-of-12 on field goals and 19-of-22 on extra points.

Jones is ranked as the No. 19 punter in his class according to Sailer, while Barry is No. 9. Coming in at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, Jones has a very different physical profile from the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Barry.

Here is Sailer's scouting report of Jones from July, which actually seems to praise him more as a placekicker than as a punter:

Kalen is a fantastic high school kicking prospect. He is a great looking athlete with a live leg. Kalen does an outstanding job on field goal, a strength. He hits a pure and accurate ball off the ground and has 55+ yard range. His kickoffs are solid. Kalen averages 65+ yards, with 3.8+ hang time. He also shows that he can hit a 70 yard, 4.0 ball. Kalen is also a talented punter. He is showing steady improvement in this area. A competitor that thrives under pressure. He has a bright college future with continued hard work. Look for Kalen to dominate his senior season picking up college offers along the way. Kalen is a fine young man with a great attitude and work ethic. One of the hardest workers out there. Outstanding prospect. OFFER NOW!!!

Jones also had a preferred walk-on offer from Cal Lutheran before UCLA offered him on Feb. 2.

The Bruins' current punting situation is in flux, as two-year starter Luke Akers entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 regular season and committed to Northwestern in January. UCLA was going to be without a true punter in the Holiday Bowl had that game not been canceled due to COVID-19, and while Kelly told reporters leading up to the postseason that he had a plan at the position, he said people would have to wait until game time to find out what it was.

Kelly had options, if he was going to make a kicker take reps at punter that day, in Nicholas Barr-Mira, RJ Lopez and Ari Libenson. Barr-Mira and Lopez spent the past two seasons as the Bruins' placekicker and kickoff specialist, respectively, while Libenson has yet to see game action.

Between those three, none were on scholarship in 2021. Jones, Barry and James will not be on scholarship in 2022 either.

So between the change in regime on the sidelines for the special teams unit, and the fact that neither the returners or new faces are on scholarship, there could be plenty of open competition for the starting spots in that phase of the game.

Jones and Barry bring two different physical profiles and experience levels to the table, and they are likely to be the leading contenders to take over as starting punter come Week 1 in 2022.

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