From Seminole to Cane: FSU Starting Kicker Jake Weinberg Picks Miami ... "I'm super excited, I'm ready to go to work"

If you can’t beat them, join them. Perhaps that should be the tagline for any Florida State transfer who joins Miami, at least if you’re taking a Miami Hurricanes fan’s perspective.

Yes, a Seminole is now a Cane. FSU starting kicker Jake Weinberg has chosen UM. He announced the decision today and had visited Miami Jan. 15.

Weinberg says he was leaning toward Miami the entire time and that from Day 1 in the portal “It was 90 percent Miami, 10 percent open.”

“I was blessed with the opportunity I had at Florida State, and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the coaches, teammates and friends I made up there, but Miami was a dream school growing up for me, I grew up going to these games,” Weinberg told CaneSport. “I’m just blessed to have this opportunity to play football here. The coaching staff is unreal and I’m able to come home, an hour away from my house. I’m super excited. I’m ready to go to work.”

Weinberg struggled this past season with 12 of 19 made kicks (long of 46 yards), but his outstanding leg strength was evident on kickoffs – 56 of his 61 attempts were touchbacks, with none going out of bounds. Weinberg has three years of eligibility remaining.

There is a twist to this as well. Because Miami has also landed Northwestern kicker Jack Olsen, who has one year left to play. Olsen made 19 of 21 kicks this season.

“They (Miami coaches) said `Look, you’re going to come here and compete for the job, obviously nothing is going to be given to you, we love your work ethic, what you did last year,'” Weinberg said. “They know that this is where I’m from, and said that they believe in me and love the leg they are getting over here.”

Somewhat similar to last year when Miami grabbed two portal kickers in FAU’s Carter Davis and Texas’ Bert Auburn, there can be a competition. The most likely outcome, it appears with Olsen on board, would be Olsen handling the field goals and Weinberg the kickoffs … with Weinberg able to take over the field goal duties in future seasons. And note that Olsen did not handle kickoffs when he was with the Wildcats. But there would be a competition with both in Coral Gables.

“You can tell the direction the program is going in, the vibes over here are awesome,” Weinberg said. “It’s something I want to be a part of. This is the right spot. I feel not just comfortable, but this puts me in the best position for my future.”

Weinberg originally chose FSU out of American Heritage, and in the Class of 2024 he was the nation’s No. 2 ranked kicker by Kohl’s Kicking. He redshirted as a freshman before starting in every game this year.

“This is a school I wanted to play for,” Weinberg said. “I just felt this was the best spot for me and my future and to help this team win games. … I want to come to a place I feel supported, and this is a place I grew up watching football games. I feel like this is the right spot for me.

“I’m really excited to come here.”