Jake Walrath

Position:
Punter
Height:
6-4
Weight:
210
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Salado, Texas
High School:
Salado H.S.
Previous School:
Tarleton State/Utah State
Twitter:
@walrath83
Instagram:
walrathhh

CAREER

In five-year career, saw action in 47 games in career at Central Michigan and Tarleton State … Averaged 41.7 yards per punt in career on 205 punts for 8,541 yards with a long of 74 … Finished Tarleton State career ranked No. 2 all-time in career punting (40.9) … Averaged 40.9 yards per punt (5,894 yards on 144 punts), kicked 27 punts of 50-yards or more, placed 45 punts inside the 20-yard line and registered 55 fair catches in 35 career games … Set single-season school records for punting … Earned three varsity letters.

2023

As a graduate senior punter, saw action in all 12 games … Listed on the depth chart as CMU’s punter and holder … Ranked No. 4 in the MAC in punting (43.2 yards per punt), third in the league in 50-yard punts (15), and No. 9 in the MAC in punts placed inside the 20-yard line (12) … Averaged 43.2 yards per punt (62 punts-2,681 yards) with a long of 63 yards, with seven touchbacks, 18 fair catches, 12 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and 15 50-yard punts … Had zero punts blocked on the year … Completed one pass on a fake punt that went for a 49-yard gain … Averaged 40.0 yards per punt (5-200), completed pass for 49 yards on fake punt in season finale vs. Toledo (11/24) … Registered a season-high 52.2 yards per punt average (5-261) vs. Akron (10/14) … Boomed season-long 63-yard punt, placed a season-high four punts inside the 20-yard line, averaged 50.1 yards per punt (7-351) at Notre Dame (9/16) … Hit a season-high nine punts for 376 yards (41.7 yards per punt) in season opener at Michigan State (9/1) … Enrolled at Central Michigan in January 2023.

2022 AT TARLETON STATE

Graduated from Tarleton State … Averaged 40.2 yards per punt (1,969 yards on 49 punts), placed 13 inside the 20-yard line and kicked nine 50-yard punts with only five touchbacks … Kicked two 50-yard punts and placed two inside the 20-yard line at Stephen F. Austin (Oct. 15) … Placed three punts inside the 20-yard line with a long of 55 yards vs. Southwest Baptist (Oct. 22) … Averaged 47.0 yards per punt (7-329 yards) with a long of 55 yards and placed two inside the 20 yard line at Utah Tech (Nov. 12) … Helped guide the Texans to a 6-5 overall record.

2021 AT TARLETON STATE

As a sophomore, earned Phil Steele FCS All-WAC Third Team honors … Played in all 11 games, serving as the team’s only punter in game action … Had 50 punts cover 2,129 yards, averaging 42.6 yards per punt … Had 16 punts placed inside the 20-yard-line, nine punts go 50 or more yards, 24 fair catches and six touchbacks … Set a new team single-season record for yards per punt at 42.6, surpassing Ron Reid’s 42.1 yards per punt average in 2018 … Ended the 2021 season with the second highest career yards per punt average in school history at 41.3, trailing only Isaac Arrellano (2012-15) at 41.4 yards per punt … Had a 74-yard punt against Abilene Christian on Nov. 13, which tied for the second longest punt in the Western Athletic Conference in 2021 … Only 10 punts across the FCS all season were longer than his 74-yarder … In the Western Athletic Conference, ranked first in fair catches, second in total yards, second in total punts, third in average punt yards, third in punts inside the 20 … In the FCS, only 20 players averaged more yards per punt … Recorded his most punts in a game at Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 2 (eight) … Had his best yards per punt average in a game vs. Fort Lewis on Sept. 11 at 46.7 yards per … Pinned Midwestern State at the 1-yard-line on a 45-yard punt with 38 seconds remaining in the game with Tarleton leading, and eventually winning, 17-14.

2020 AT TARLETON STATE

As a sophomore, was the lone punter to appear in a game for the Texans, booting 30 punts … Averaged 37.5 yards per punt, trapping opponents inside the 20-yard-line 10 times, a career-high mark … Had four punts go 50+ yards, topping at 55 yards against New Mexico State on Feb. 21 … Had a season-high seven punts against the Aggies and averaged his long of 51.5 yards in his two punts against Northeastern State on March 27 … Had 13 fair catches and four touchbacks.

2019 AT TARLETON STATE

As a redshirt freshman, appeared in five games … Punted 15 times for 672 yards … Had five punts over 50 yards, including a long of 63 … Pinned six punts inside the 20 … LSC Champion.

2018 AT UTAH STATE

Redshirted season as a true freshman.

HIGH SCHOOL

A 2018 graduate of Salado High School, earned three varsity letters for Head Coach Alan Haire and Jared Cruddas … Two-time Second Team All-District kicker in 2016 and 2017 … Led the Eagles to the 2018 District Championship in football … 2018 District Champs in soccer … Two-time football All-District selection … Academic All-State … Holds the school record for longest field goal … Averaged 41.3 yards per punt as a senior … Also competed in track and field … Earned a total of eight varsity letters.

PERSONAL

Born Louis Jake Walrath on August 27, 2000 in Killeen, Texas … Son of Jason and Kathi Walrath … Father Jason is a retired Army General, who attended Army West Point … Has a younger sister Olivia … Role models are his mother and father, who demonstrated a blend of hard work, honestly, preparedness, kindness, and compassion … Hobbies and interests include hiking, hunting/fishing, ping pong, shooting skeet and trap, and grilling… Has bartended at a brewery in Birmingham, Ala. during summers … Visited Central Michigan on December 9, 2022 … Selected Central Michigan to play for the coaching staff, the opportunity, the family feel of the program, and college town location … Chose Central Michigan over offers from Texas, Baylor, Arkansas, Oregon State, Troy, Georgia State, Connecticut, and Bowling Green … Majoring in kinesiology.