5-Star Punter Flips Commitment to Texas Longhorns

He chose Louisiana Tech as his destination last month, but pivoted to Texas when Kern’s entry to the transfer portal left the Longhorns searching to fill a vacancy.

Although his primary role is as a punter, Heil also acquired kickoff and field-goal experience in high school. Kohl’s Kicking, which is a specialized football camp program widely known by college coaches, ranked him as the No. 45 kicker and the No. 16 punter in his recruiting class. 

At Kohl’s 2024 Western Winter Showcase, the recruit finished first overall in punt charting, third in kickoffs and finished 13/15 in field goals. He also won the punt and field goal competition and finished as runner-up in the kickoff competition. 

At Arcadia High School in Phoenix, Arizona, Heil started as a varsity punter for three years. He earned 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-State his senior year, serving as a team captain. Additionally, he was awarded 1st Team All-Region both his junior and senior year.

The turnaround between the time of his commitment and start date at Texas will be tight, with summer practices starting this week and training camp beginning on July 31.

With Kern now rostered at Cal, Heil will have to adjust quickly and prepare to step up as a potential freshman backup for the Longhorns behind Bouwmeester.

Texas State transfer Mason Shipley arrived to Austin this offseason due to senior Bert Auburn’s decision to take his remaining eligibility to the Miami Hurricanes. 

Texas also still has kicker Will Stone, who kicked instead of Auburn in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Ohio State, going 2-for-2 on extra point attempts and kicked off three times for 193 yards (64.3 average) with one touchback. 

As the Longhorns prepare to embrace both a new kicker and a new punter, it will be interesting to see how each new fresh face fares in their new role.