Kicker has targeted Pac-10 schools

Jake Van Ginkel is one of the top kickers on the West Coast and since he wants to stay close to home for college the Upland, Calif., prospect already has a pretty good idea of the programs he'd like to target this summer.

So far, Van Ginkel said Washington, Oregon State, Arizona and UCLA are showing the most interest and now that his highlight tape is finished he's hoping even more Pac-10 schools get involved.

"I'm done with the highlight tape so I'll be sending that out soon," Van Ginkel said. "I think it's going to be one of the biggest parts. Once the colleges can see what I can do in a game they'll give me offers. That's what college coaches want a lot from kickers - they want to see game film and consistency and the leg power."

Generally, kickers are the last to get offered so Van Ginkel, a 6-foot, 174-pound prospect who attended the recent Rivals.com Five-Star Academy at UCLA, is not feeling any pressure yet.

Summer camps will be important for him to show colleges coaches what he can do in person so his schedule is being put together. Return trips to UCLA and Southern Cal are expected and Van Ginkel said he hopes to kick at Oregon, Washington and Arizona this summer as well.

"Kickers are normally last for recruiting," Van Ginkel said. "Over the summer, they want to see your video and then they want you to come to their camps and see you in person so they can check you out. That's a lot of times when they offer you at camps. Hopefully, I'll have a big summer this year."

Van Ginkel hit 16 of 20 field goals last season and connected on 95 percent of those inside of 50 yards. His longest kicks are 58 and 57 yards and both of those kicks occurred in the same game during his freshman season.

Known primarily for his field goals and kickoffs, Van Ginkel said he has been working diligently on punting so he can become more marketable to college coaches. If he's sound in all areas of kicking, more offers might become available. Van Ginkel wants to establish himself as an all-around kicker and would like to show off those skills this summer at camps.

"I'm better at field goals and kickoffs but in the last year I've really worked on my punting and have gotten really strong at that," Van Ginkel said. "I think that if I could be one of the best at field goals, kickoffs and punts I'll be worth more than a person who can only do one."