Football Recruiting: Cameron Van Winkle Signs LOI With Washington

There isn’t often a ton of hype surrounding incoming kicking prospects, but in this case, Washington fans should be excited to know that a letter of intent has been received by the University of Washington Cameron Van Winkle, the kicker from Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Washington.

Ranked in the top-10 at the kicker position by Scout, Rivals, and ESPN recruiting services, Van Winkle figures to compete with current Washington kicker Travis Coons, who hit 9/14 field goals while never attempting a single kick from 50+ yards. He never really gained the support of the fan base, and finished rough, missing what would have been a potentially game-sealing field goal from less than 40 yards in the Apple Cup, and another from well over 40 yards in the Las Vegas Bowl that could also have resulted in a win.

While it’s foolish to assume Van Winkle will instantly walk on campus and take the starting spot from Coons, it does look like a fairly likely outcome, as the coaching staff never seemed to fully trust his leg, and Van Winkle is one of the premier kicking recruits in the class. It will be quite some time before we know for sure, but either way, trust that Van Winkle’s presence will, at the very least, elevate the level of competition at kicker in the 2013 season.