Nick Jordan: 2012 Texas Recruiting Spotlight

Vitals

Name: Nick Jordan

Position: Kicker

Height: 6-1

Weight: 175

Speed: N/A

High school: Coppell

Rating (Rivals): Two out of five (5.4)

Offers

• Texas (committed 6/27/2011
• Illinois
• Iowa State
• Oklahoma
• Texas Tech

Overview/recruitment

Nick Jordan Army Game Interview (via GhostofBigRoy84)

Scouting Report

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.