The New York Jets’ kicking carousel might finally be slowing down. After cycling through five different kickers during a disastrous 2024 season, Gang Green has brought in the internet’s favorite leg specialist: Harrison Mevis, better known as “The Thiccer Kicker.”
At 6 feet tall and a robust 242 pounds, Mevis doesn’t look like your typical NFL kicker. He looks more like a linebacker who took a wrong turn at practice. But don’t let the build fool you – this guy can absolutely boot it. The Jets signed the UFL standout on Tuesday, immediately waiving veteran Anders Carlson and setting up what could be the most entertaining position battle of training camp.
Who is Harrison Mevis?
Mevis comes to New York riding serious momentum. Playing for the Birmingham Stallions this spring, he drilled 20 of 21 field goal attempts, good for a ridiculous 95.2 percent success rate.
His lone miss? A 63-yarder that would’ve been good from 62. The man has a leg cannon attached to his hip, and Jets fans are already dreaming of what those MetLife winds might do for his range.
The Thiccer Kicker’s path to the NFL hasn’t been conventional, but nothing about Mevis really is. At Missouri, he became a folk hero and the school’s all-time leading scorer with 405 points. His defining moment came on September 16, 2023, when he crushed a 61-yard game-winner against Kansas State – an SEC record that sent Columbia into absolute chaos.
After going undrafted in 2024, Mevis had a cup of coffee with Carolina before landing in the UFL. That detour might’ve been the best thing for his career. While other kickers were holding clipboards on NFL sidelines, Mevis was getting real game reps and proving he could handle professional pressure. Twenty made field goals later, NFL teams came calling again.
WALK OFF, MEVIS. #KohlsElite
Missouri’s Harrison Mevis hits a 61-yard game-winner, the longest field goal in #SEC history.#MIZ // #KohlsHighlightspic.twitter.com/E5bMGxQIQO
— Kohl’s Kicking Camps (@KohlsKicking) September 16, 2023
The Jets weren’t messing around in their evaluation either. They brought Mevis in for a workout alongside fellow UFL kicker Rodrigo Blankenship last week. Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo, part of new head coach Aaron Glenn’s completely revamped staff, clearly saw something he liked.
When asked what he values in kickers, Banjo kept it simple: “Consistency. That’s the biggest thing, consistency, and how guys respond to tough situations.”
With Carlson’s departure, the Jets’ kicking competition is down to two: Mevis and undrafted rookie Caden Davis out of Ole Miss. What’s remarkable is that neither has kicked in an NFL regular-season game.
In fact, after releasing Greg Zuerlein and Thomas Morstead this offseason, the Jets don’t have a single specialist on the roster with NFL experience.
That might sound concerning, but it also represents a complete philosophical shift. The Jets are betting on upside and hunger over veteran presence. They’re gambling that fresh legs and fresh perspectives might cure what’s been a chronic special teams problem.
Will it work? Time will tell.