Inside Iowa high school quarterback J.J. Kohl's meteoric rise to become one of nation's top passers
ANKENY, Iowa — Sometimes, when J.J. Kohl would sit down for a family dinner growing up, there would be an extra place set for one of his dad’s coworkers. These weren't your average house guests, though.
It would be longtime Oakland Raiders punter Marquette King one night. Then longtime New Orleans Saint and current New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead on another.
Jamie Kohl, J.J.’s dad, was a four-year starting kicker at Iowa State and in 2000 started Kohl’s Professional Camps, a training resource for kickers, punters and long-snappers of all levels. Not only does he work with several NFL starters, but the evaluations that stem from his camps serve as the main online recruiting service for special teams players in high school.
Through that business, pros like Morstead, King and more became family friends.
"A bunch of these guys would come to our house, and they’d stay with us and they’d train," J.J. Kohl told The Register. "Morstead and King were two of the guys I remember vividly. Sometimes they’d actually teach me how to punt and kick growing up. They play at the highest level, and they had a lot of experiences to share."
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Despite growing up with a kicker as a dad, and being surrounded by some of the biggest kicking or punting names in football, Kohl caught the quarterback bug. Maybe it had something to do with his size — he stands 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds as a junior — or his ability to throw a natural spiral.
It's a good thing he picked quarterback, too. Because he's a really, really good one.
Over the past five months, Kohl has blossomed into one of the country's premier 2023 quarterbacks. He's the No. 3 prospect in the Register's in-state 2023 rankings and he's on the Iowa Eight, a list of the state’s top eight football prospects, regardless of class.
Kohl showed flashes of Power Five potential as Ankeny Centennial's quarterback last fall, throwing for 891 yards and three touchdowns in a run-heavy offense. But numbers like those aren't getting anyone noticed on a regional or national level.
That type of recognition came last April, following the Under Armour All-America Camp in Obetz, Ohio. Kohl earned the Quarterback MVP award and caught the attention of more than a handful of schools.
"When you’re talking about investing time and effort and energy into something, it’s important that there’s moments that give you hope," Jamie Kohl said. "That was definitely one of them. I think J.J.’s ball stayed tight. The rotation and tightness of the spiral, the accuracy of it, the arm strength were some of the things that really stood out."
Iowa State and Iowa quickly showed interest in the in-state prospect. Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin reached out. Kohl’s name extended east, too, and Penn State and Florida State came calling.
Then, in June, Kohl landed his first three offers from Iowa State, Iowa and Florida State after impressing coaches at those schools' prospect camps.
Now, after transferring last year, Kohl is thriving at Ankeny. The Hawks' balanced offense allows Kohl to show more of his full potential, which is only beginning to be tapped. He’s completed 55 of 91 attempts for 701 yards and eight touchdowns through five games. He’s even picked up one rushing touchdown, despite favoring the pocket.
Kicking runs in Kohl's blood. But his arm is too strong to not use it.
At this point, there is no question that Kohl has a Division I arm. But … how did not only the son of a kicker, but the son of a 6-foot kicker, become an NFL-sized quarterback prospect firmly on Power Five radars across the country?
For starters, size 16, custom-ordered cleats aren't exactly ideal for a good kick.
Kohl's size isn't thanks to a recent growth spurt, either. He's always been big. In middle school, he was already too big to touch the ball under youth football rules. So, he took over at defensive end and offensive tackle.
But when Kohl returned behind center in high school, it was like he’d never missed a beat. Jamie says his son was always a natural at the position.
"I’ve seen good players who have been quarterbacks and the one thing, above all else, that J.J. was able to do was throw a natural spiral," said Jamie, who played with Todd Doxzon, Todd Bandhauer and briefly with Sage Rosenfels at Iowa State and interacts with NFL quarterbacks through the athletes he trains.
"From a young age, he had a short delivery, not bringing the ball down. It came out clean. You know, he was good at baseball. He was good at basketball. He was a good kicker/punter for that matter. But the thing he did better than anything else was throw the football."
That has become clear to college football coaches, too.
Iowa State was Kohl's first offer June 1, and the Hawkeyes followed suit June 8. Florida State handed him his third offer June 20.
"Iowa State camp was when it really picked up," Kohl said. "That’s where I got the first offer. And it’s just taken off since then. It takes a lot of pressure off my back. My goal has been to play college football since I was a kid. (Having) those offers makes it easier because now I can just focus on playing."
Kohl was actually supposed to be in school during Iowa State’s camp but arranged to take his finals early. He thinks he performed well on the broad jump and remembers tripping at the end of the 40-yard dash. Kohl recalls the coaches saying he threw well on the run for his size.
The rest of the day is a little bit of a blur. Drills wrapped up and Kohl took a golf cart to the coaches’ offices, where they talked about the Cyclones’ history and toured the facilities. The next thing he knew, head coach Matt Campbell extended an offer.
Kohl might not follow in his father’s footsteps as a kicker, but he has the chance to become a legacy if he chooses to play for the Cyclones. Jamie was a first team all-state kicker from Wisconsin before becoming a four-year starter at Iowa State.
"It was a really special moment for me, and very special for him as well," Kohl said about sharing the moment with his dad. "It seemed like a lot of memories came back to him. It was kind of cool to share that moment."
Kohl also attended camps at Penn State and Texas A&M, and says that Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Rutgers have reached out since the summer. He has already taken game-day visits to Wisconsin, Iowa State and Iowa this fall, and he wants to get back out to Iowa City when the Hawkeyes host Penn State.
In both talent and mental make-up, Kohl is ready for the spotlight.
The preparation for this kind of national recruiting attention started when Kohl was a kid.
Kohl’s Kicking Camps gave him access to top-tier professional athletes at a young age, and Jamie believes that exposure showed his son what a player needed to accomplish to succeed beyond high school.
"When I was in high school, I had no contact with college coaches or teams or players, anything like that," Jamie said. "Being around (those players) and the way they view the world, he seems to understand the process better than I did, for sure. It doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it would to someone that’s not connected with a lot of NFL players and coaches, but it doesn’t mean it’s any easier."
With all the advice from professional athletes, it’s still the guidance of his father that Kohl values most.
"The biggest thing he said is, 'If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen,'" Kohl said. "Meaning I can’t get too caught up in the number of offers I have or who’s interested in me or not. I just have to worry about doing me and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be."
Kohl made a quick impression on his teammates after transferring over from Centennial.
When Ankeny’s captains take the field before the start of every game, Kohl is among the group of four, alongside Antonio Espino, Will Cornwell and Brady McCullough. He’s the only non-senior on the Hawks’ leadership squad.
McCullough says it’s Kohl's personality and his ability to fold into a new offense that made him an obvious choice for captain.
"As soon as he got here, he got to work right away," McCullough said. "It took a lot of time getting our chemistry and timing down in the offseason. But he plays a big role in our offense and understands how it works."
At this point, it’s obvious why Kohl is one of the country’s top quarterback prospects.
Good size? Check.
Division I passing skills? Check.
Evident leadership qualities? Check.
Kohl has made such strong early impressions that he already has college options on the table. Now, he can focus all his energy on winning a state title.
"Being at Ankeny, that’s kind of the expectation," he said. "It’s not going to be easy this year, but I think we can do it."
Alyssa Hertel is a college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.