HOUSTON – Michigan Panthers standout kicker Jake Bates, a Tomball graduate who was with the Texans during training camp last year, is expected to sign with the Detroit Lions when UFL players can officially sign Tuesday, according to league sources.
Bates visited the Lions, Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders and had interest from three other NFL teams, per sources.
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With booming, long-distance field goals, Bates has excelled in the United Football League.
A year ago, Bates was briefly with the Texans as an undrafted free agent for one game to give regular kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn a break.
In the UFL, though, Bates was a headliner for a playoff team.
Bates connected on a 64-yard field goal on his first attempt to beat the St. Louis Battlehawks, a 62-yarder in a loss to the Birmingham Stallions and has hit 15 of 18 field goals overall, including three kicks from 60 yards or beyond.
Bates made 21 of 28 field goals for the Panthers in 11 games, including going 4 for 6 in a playoff loss to the Birmingham Stallions.
Bates has an incredibly strong leg, booming kickoffs with such distance and force that he was named All-Southeastern Conference first-team as a kickoff specialist in his lone season for the Razorbacks. He previously was a reserve at Texas State, again as a kickoff specialist, after playing soccer at Central Arkansas. The 64-yard kick was his first kick in eight years after playing soccer mostly at Tomball High School. He got to try just two kicks as a senior in his only season of football, missing both.
The Texas State transfer earned an invitation from the Texans to their local prospect day after leading the SEC and ranking fourth nationally with a 64.47 yards per kickoff average and 64 touchbacks to rank fourth nationally.
After hitting a 67-yard field goal at the Arkansas Pro Day that would have easily been good from 70 yards and going 14 for 14 inside 55 yards, Bates worked out twice for the AFC South franchise.
Bates led all Football Championship schools with a 85.3 touchback percentage with 64 of his 75 kickoffs resulting in a touchback. He also had an onside kick against Alabama that was recovered by the Razorbacks.
Because both Arkansas and Texas State had strong kickers, Bates was a kickoff specialist at both schools.
He averaged 62.76 yards per kickoff in his final season at Texas State and had 35 touchbacks on 53 kickoffs.
Bates was an all-district and offensive Most Valuable Player for the Tomball soccer team.
From a soccer background to a reserve role in college football to a short stint with the Texans, Bates has been steadily building.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
