Just days after making an official visit to Lexington, Montana specialist Jacob Kauwe announced his commitment to the Wildcats on Tuesday.

Described as a kicker with an "unusually strong leg," Kauwe has a soccer background but began focusing on football in recent years. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete has impressed scouts at elite kicking camps and boasts range up to 60 yards in his workouts.

The Billings West 2024 standout chose Kentucky over programs like Oklahoma, Duke, and Oregon State.

Kauwe was a prime target of new Kentucky special teams coordinator Jay Boulware, who designated him as the Cats' lone kicking official visitor this summer.

"It was everything I thought it would be and more," Kauwe said of his trip to UK. "I really enjoyed the staff and the culture that were there and the facilities were otherworldly compared to what I might have in Montana. The SEC's a different beast."

The UK staff believes Kauwe could be a good candidate to handle kickoffs and may also have the potential to punt.

Boulware has been charged by UK head coach Mark Stoops with improving the placekicking performance after the Cats converted only 67% (16 of 24) of their field-goal attempts, missing four from 30-39 yards and a pair of extra points during the 2022 season.

The Cats currently have four scholarship specialists on the roster for the 2023 season: senior Chance Poore, redshirt freshman Jackson Smith, sophomore Wilson Berry, and transfer portal addition Alex Raynor from Georgia Southern.