Texas hosting Utah transfer P Jack Bouwmeester on Thursday

A No. 122 ranking in yards per punt thanks to the struggles of freshman Michael Kern and sophomore Ian Ratliff has the Texas Longhorns in pursuit of an upgrade from the NCAA transfer portal with special teams coordinator Jeff Banks hosting Utah Utes transfer Jack Bouwmeester on Thursday.

The 6’3, 197-pounder has one season of eligibility remaining. A product of ProKick Australia, Bouwmeester has a background in Australian Rules Football and in cricket, initially signing with Michigan State as a member of the 2019 recruiting class and spending two years in East Lansing without seeing the field.

After transferring to Utah, Bouwmeester earned the starting job in 2022, but, like Kern, had an adjustment period, averaging 39.7 yards per punt before blossoming into a standout performer in 2023, leading Pac-12 and ranking No. 16 nationally with 45.5 yards per punt. Bouwmeester earned recognition as a Ray Guy award finalist that season with the help of 19 punts of 50-plus yards.

In 2024, Bouwmeester continued punting at a high level, averaging 44.7 yards per punt during the regular season to lead the Big 12 with 13 punts of 50-plus yards.

Bouwmeester also has experience as a holder on field goals and point-after attempts.