Michigan Panthers’ of the UFL kicker Jake Bates nailed a 64-yard kick that tied the NFL’s record… now he’s football’s newest star
DETROIT, MI– The UFL is off to a strong start, and with that, there have been a few players taking the spotlight as potential NFL prospects. Surprisingly, one of the hottest players in the league isn’t a quarterback or a defensive superstar. It’s the starting kicker of the Michigan Panthers– Jake Bates. His popularity reached new heights the other day after it was announced that his first field goal of the season found its way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So how did we get here? Are we witnessing the NFL’s next superstar kicker? Let’s get into it.
The hysteria began in the final seconds of Michigan’s first game of the season against the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Panthers were down by one point. After a few failed attempts to gain ground, the offense was pulled, and the field goal unit prepared for the game’s most important play. 24-year-old kicker Jake Bates jogged onto the field to attempt a 64-yard field goal, only two yards behind current NFL record holder Justin Tucker. Up until this moment, Bates played two seasons of soccer at Central Arkansas and then transferred to Texas State in 2020 to handle kickoff duties for two seasons.
In his final college season, he transferred to Arkansas where he worked solely on kickoffs. In 2022, Bates was named to the first-team All-SEC team. After his 2022 campaign, he declared for the NFL draft where he went undrafted. A few months later, the Houston Texans signed him but he was released within a couple of weeks. For a moment, it seemed like Bates had lost his chance of playing in the NFL. But the advent and rise of spring leagues such as the UFL have given those like Bates a second chance.
With the game on the line, it was clear that making this 64-yard field goal would put his name back on the map. As he began to take his steps, the Battlehawks tactically called a timeout. To the surprise of many, Bates drilled the attempt.
While it wasn’t counted, it left thousands of viewers holding onto their seats in excitement. After a brief timeout, the field goal unit yet again assembled for the 64-yard attempt. Again, without interruption this time, Jake Bates drilled the field goal, winning the game. The Panthers stormed the field in excitement, lifting Bates into the air. It was the UFL’s biggest moment of the weekend and a great display of what the league has to offer.
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Following the Week 1 victory over the Battlehawks, the Panthers lost to the Birmingham Stallions 20-13. In a similar fashion to his Week 1 performance, Bates continued to shine, drilling a 62-yard field goal in the final play of the first half, as well as kicking a 52-yarder in the third quarter. The next week, the Panthers dominated the Houston Roughnecks 34-20.
In this matchup, Bates hit a 46-yarder in the first quarter, and then once again sent the game to halftime with a 55-yard field goal. It would be an understatement to say that Jake Bates’ professional debut has been anything short of outstanding. With seven more weeks of the regular season and a potential for playoffs, the sky is the limit for the UFL’s hottest player.
Leagues such as the UFL are essential to providing a pathway for those seeking to make it back to the NFL. While many of those who are eventually signed are later cut once 53-man rosters are established, there have been some names that have stuck a little longer. In 2023, Punter Daniel Whelan from the DC Defenders was picked up by the Green Bay Packers and eventually beat out long-time NFL veteran Pat O’Donnell for the starting job.
In the quarterback department, players such as PJ Walker, Taylor Heinicke, and Ben DiNucci all found their way to the XFL after setbacks in the NFL, only to find their way back as backups or practice squad players. The UFL aims to continue this trend by giving players the opportunity to show off their talent to potential markets. As the NFL draft comes and goes in the next week, and the UFL season concludes on June 16th,
it will be interesting to see which players get a chance to make a name for themselves in the NFL.
So what does this mean for Jake Bates? With seven weeks to go in the UFL’s regular season, there will be plenty of attention focused on the Panthers’ special teams. Lions fans have already taken to X, formerly Twitter, to “recruit” Bates to the roster.
While it would make a great story for Bates to stay in Detroit for the foreseeable future, anything is possible. Until then, we will continue to monitor the UFL and the talent it has to offer.
