UCLA Football Offers Another Elite Special Teamer in Punter Kalen Jones

The Bruins now have three preferred walk-on offers out to top-end kickers and punters with one commitment already locked in.

(Photo Courtesy of Kalen Jones/Twitter)

The Bruins are in a position to bring a whole wave of new blood into the special teams unit.

UCLA football sent a preferred walk-on offer to class of 2022 punter Kalen Jones on Wednesday, the prospect announced on Twitter. It was the second day in a row the Bruins' director of player personnel Ethan Young offered a roster spot to a specialist, sending one to kicker Michael James on Tuesday.

On top of those two, UCLA already has a preferred walk-on commitment from punter Chase Barry.

After a great conversation with @EthanYoungFB, I am blessed to announce I have received an offer to punt for UCLA! @UCLAFootball @coachmedina61 @Chris_Sailer @NewGenKicking @eastlaketitanFB pic.twitter.com/IApjjKDTG3

— Kalen Jones (@kalenjones93) February 3, 2022

All three 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 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 has a preferred walk-on offer from Cal Lutheran.

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 coach Chip 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. With Barry coming in to take Akers' spot and regardless of what Jones and James decide, UCLA is set to be without a scholarship player in its special teams room.

If he were to commit to the Bruins and enroll in time for next season, Jones would presumably compete with Barry for the starting punter job.

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