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Rutgers football: 'Hometown guy' Jai Patel delivers big kicks and a good story vs. Temple

jerry carino, asbury park press
·4 min read
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PISCATAWAY – Jai Patel had his own cheering section in SHI Stadium Saturday night, about 15 strong who made the 15-mile trip up Route 1 from South Brunswick.

They got to witness an eye-opening performance by Rutgers football’s surprising new placekicker.

“I tried to block them out, but I saw them after the game and they gave me big hugs,” Patel said. “That’s one of the things I love about being a hometown guy.”

His following is bound to get bigger after he drilled field goals of 51, 43 and 23 yards in the Scarlet Knights' 36-7 win over Temple. Those kicks might not seem consequential if you’re just glancing at the score, but until midway through the fourth quarter, the first two provided the margin as Rutgers clung to a 13-7 lead.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights placekicker Jai Patel (44) slaps hands with head coach Greg Schiano after a field goal during the first half against the Temple Owls at SHI Stadium.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights placekicker Jai Patel (44) slaps hands with head coach Greg Schiano after a field goal during the first half against the Temple Owls at SHI Stadium.

And in the bigger picture, Patel’s emergence is one of those stories that you love about college sports. He survived a collapsed lung while at South Brunswick High School, walked on at Rutgers because his two older siblings went there – and he likes the business school – and takes pride in representing New Jersey’s huge Indian community.

There are no statistics on how many Indian-American players are starting across college football this season, but it’s likely the number is small. Only two have ever appeared in the NFL. Patel grew up playing soccer, but watched football with his dad and eventually decided to give it a shot. He knows he could be blazing a trail.

“I think that's great, especially in New Jersey and in Middlesex County,” he said. “I hope to inspire the next generation of athletes to not fear playing football.”

His strong right leg is a good advertisement. At South Brunswick High, Patel set a school record with 22 field goals, made all 78 of his extra points and earned all-state honors. He connected on field goals of 40-plus yards as a sophomore, junior and senior, with a long of 44.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights placekicker Jai Patel (44) kicks an extra point as punter Flynn Appleby (95) holds
Rutgers Scarlet Knights placekicker Jai Patel (44) kicks an extra point as punter Flynn Appleby (95) holds

Still, Patel arrived at Rutgers in 2022 as a walk-on and didn’t play last fall. This past offseason he unseated incumbent senior Jude McAtamney as the placekicker (McAtamney still handles kickoffs).

“He was very consistent in the spring and then in the summer,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said.

Patel’s debut against Northwestern Sept. 3 was a mixed bag – he made a 32-yarder and clanged a 38-yarder off the upright. So it seemed a bit surprising when Schiano, with Rutgers up 7-0, sent him out for a 51-yard attempt in the second quarter.

“I told him 51 yards was my line of demarcation, from warmups,” Patel said. “I really respect coach having that confidence in me.”

The snap was high, but holder Flynn Appleby got it down, and Patel drilled a low line drive that split the uprights with at least five yards to spare. The ball banked off the “Birthplace of College Football” wall at the front of the student section.

“I actually didn’t like the hit too much, thought it was a little too low,” he said. “We talk about being violent with the ball, so I just hit it as hard as I could.”

That ranks tied for the seventh-longest field goal in program history and is the longest since Bridgewater-Raritan High School grad Justin Davidovicz knocked a 52-yarder through in 2018 (the record of 55 yards, by John Benestad, has stood since 1990).

Rutgers Scarlet Knights placekicker Jai Patel (44) celebrates his field goal with long snapper Jake Eldridge (49) during the first half against the Temple Owls at SHI Stadium.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights placekicker Jai Patel (44) celebrates his field goal with long snapper Jake Eldridge (49) during the first half against the Temple Owls at SHI Stadium.

The sophomore added a 43-yarder later in the period, no sweat, and a 23-yarder in the fourth (after Appleby, an Australian whose evening included booming a 55-yard punt, salvaged a low snap).

“Flynn is amazing,” Patel said. “I’m from 20 minutes away and he’s from 20 hours away, but we’ve really meshed.”

You never know where you’re going to find a difference maker. As the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Patel ran off the field after his 51-yarder, Schiano stepped out and met him for a low-five.

“Just a great feeling, knowing someone believes in you,” Patel said.

After Saturday, that group got a lot bigger.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers football: Jai Patel delivers with big kicks vs. Temple