Kentucky has signed a former five-star long snapper as Will Stein puts the final touches on his debut roster in Lexington. Jacksonville State’s Cole Marszalek, come on down! You are officially a Wildcat.
A redshirt junior this past season for the Gamecocks, he played in all 13 games as JSU finished 9-5 on the year and made a run to the Conference USA Championship Game before taking down Troy 17-13 in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl.
Before that, he spent two seasons at Arizona State, redshirting in 2023 before emerging as the starter in 2024. He handled snapping duties on all field goal and punt attempts for the Big XII Championship squad that also earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.
In high school, Marszalek was named a five-star long snapper by Kohl’s Professional Camps and was rated as the No. 6 snapper in the country. Defensively, he was fifth on his team in tackles with 74 as a senior while adding 11 tackles for loss.
It’s the second long snapper Stein has added this portal cycle, Marszalek joining Georgia State transfer Spencer Radnoti — a 6-3, 230-pound redshirt sophomore. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining after picking the Cats over Michigan.
UK was in the market for long-snapping help after Alex McLaughlin concluded his Wildcat career in the fall.
Elsewhere, starting kicker Jacob Kauwe previously announced his return for 2026 while Kentucky also added USF kicker Adam Zouagui. Murray State’s Tom O’Hara also signed with the Wildcats to take over at punter
Wilson Berry returns to Kentucky
Speaking of specialists, how about a surprise return decision from longtime punter-turned-holder Wilson Berry? He’s been a Wildcat since 2021, redshirting in year one before starting in four games as a redshirt freshman in 2022. He took over as the primary punter as a sophomore in 2023 for an average of 39.7 yards per punt in 13 games before being replaced by Aidan Laros in 2024 and 2025. His role then transitioned to holder as a junior and senior, seeing action in all 24 games both seasons.
Now, he’s back for a sixth and final season in Lexington — his first under Will Stein — after being included on the official team roster on Monday.
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