2026 Football Roster
vs
USC
Sep 19 (Sat)
3:30 PM
Roster
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Jersey Number 44
Jai Patel
- Position:
- PK
- Class:
- Senior
- Ht./Wt.:
- 5-9 / 180
- Hometown:
- Monmouth Junction, N.J.
- High School:
- South Brunswick
- Major:
- Business Analytics Information Technology / Rutgers Business Graduate School
| PRONUNCIATION |
2026 Hampshire Honor Society
2026 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
2025Ā Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
School Record - Consecutive Made Field Goals (18 from 2024-25)
2025 Academic All-Big Ten
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 27, 2025)
2025Ā Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
2024 Academic All-Big Ten
School Record - Season Field Goal AccuracyĀ (83.3%Ā inĀ 2023)
2023-24 Rutgers Athletics Sophomore of the Year
2023Ā Third Team All-Big Ten (Media)
2023 Fourth Team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele)
2023Ā Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
2023 Academic All-Big Ten
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 11, 2023)
2026 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
2025Ā Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
School Record - Consecutive Made Field Goals (18 from 2024-25)
2025 Academic All-Big Ten
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 27, 2025)
2025Ā Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
2024 Academic All-Big Ten
School Record - Season Field Goal AccuracyĀ (83.3%Ā inĀ 2023)
2023-24 Rutgers Athletics Sophomore of the Year
2023Ā Third Team All-Big Ten (Media)
2023 Fourth Team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele)
2023Ā Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches)
2023 Academic All-Big Ten
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 11, 2023)
Video:Ā Placekicker Jai Patel to Return for Fifth Year While Pursuing Master's Degree
2025 (Senior):Ā Played in all 12 games ... voted honorable mention All-Big Ten (12/3) by the coaches ...Ā selected to the watch list for theĀ 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy (7/31) andĀ a nominee for theĀ Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team (7/15) ...Ā selected to the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society (4/8) ... honored as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (7/13) ...Ā named to the Academic All-Big Ten list (12/10) for the third time ... went 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) on field goals ... had a long of 51 yards ... posted five games with multiple makes ... connected on 37-of-39 extra points ... second on the team with 76 points scored ...Ā hit a 44-yard field goalĀ at No. 1 Ohio State (11/22) ... went 5-for-5 on extra pointsĀ in win over Maryland (11/8) ... made from 26 and 40 yards away at Illinois (11/1) ... named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the WeekĀ (10/27) after hitting from 20 yards away to tie the game with 1:06 remaining and from 30 out as time expired to beat Purdue (10/25) ... matched career high with a 51-yard make againstĀ No. 8 Oregon (10/18) ... made from 37 and 35 yards awayĀ at Washington (10/10) ... good on two field goals and four extra points versus Norfolk State (9/13) ... made six extra points and a 39-yard field goalĀ against Miami (Ohio) (9/6) ... went 2-for-2 on field goalsĀ versus Ohio (8/28) to set the school record for consecutive makes.
2024 (Junior):Ā Played in all 13 games ... named to the Academic All-Big Ten list (12/12) for the second time ... went 15-of-19 (78.9 percent) on field goals, tied for the third-most accurate season in program historyĀ ...Ā made 13 consecutive field goals to end the season to match the program record ... wentĀ 15-of-17Ā on attempts inside 50 yards ... had a long of 49 yards ... recorded four games with multiple makes with a high of four conversionsĀ ... connected on 41-of-42 extra points ... led the team with 86 points scored ...Ā successful on all seven kicks (five extra points, two field goals)Ā in the Rate Bowl versus Kansas State (12/26) ...Ā went a season-best 4-for-4 on field goals with a long of 42 in snowy conditionsĀ in victory at Michigan State (11/30) ... good from 34 yards away against No. 24 Illinois (11/23) ... drilled a 46-yard field goal in the win at Maryland (11/16) ... connected on a fourth-quarterĀ attempt from 22 yards away in win over Minnesota (11/9) ... made two field goals at USC (10/25) ... connected from 49 (season long)Ā and 35 yards away versusĀ UCLA (10/19) ... hit a 24-yard field goal with 1:56 remainingĀ to put team ahead in win at Virginia Tech (9/21) ... converted a season-high seven extra points againstĀ Akron (9/7) ... connected on a 36-yard field goal and made all five extra pointsĀ versus Howard (8/29) ... named Preseason All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports (third team) (6/28).
2023 (Sophomore):Ā Played in 12 games ... named Rutgers Athletics Sophomore of the Year (7/18) ... voted Third Team All-Big Ten by the media and honorable mention by the coachesĀ (11/28) ... selected Fourth Team All-Big Ten byĀ Phil SteeleĀ (12/22) ... named to the Academic All-Big Ten list (12/11) ...Ā went 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) on field goals, the most accurate season in program historyĀ ...Ā went 13-of-14 on attempts inside of 50 yards ... added makes from 50 and 51 yardsĀ ... had four games with multiple makes and two with three conversions ... connected on 33-of-34 extra points ... led the team with 78 points ...Ā connected on four extra points and a 35-yard field goalĀ in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami (12/28) ...Ā nailed a 50-yard attemptĀ versus Maryland (11/25) ... added two field goalsĀ at No. 12 Penn State (11/18) ... went 3-for-3 againstĀ No. 1/3 Ohio State (11/4) ... connected on two field goals in the win over Michigan State (10/14) ... hit seven extra points and a 44-yard field goal versus Wagner (9/30) ... went 5-for-5 on extra points againstĀ Virginia Tech (9/16) ... namedĀ Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (9/11) after making all three attempts with a career-long of 51 in the win over Temple (9/9) ... connected on a 32-yard field goal and three extra points in collegiate debut versus Northwestern (9/3).
2022 (Freshman): Did not see game action.
Prior to Rutgers:Ā Coached by John Viotto at South Brunswick ā¦ left holding the school record with 22 career field goals, 67 touchbacks and 78-for-78 on PATs ā¦ earnedĀ USA TodayĀ All-New Jersey as a senior in 2021 after converting nine field goals with a long of 42 yards and all 23 PATs ā¦ also namedĀ NJ.comĀ First Team All-State, First Team All-Group V and First Team All-Division ... selected as Central Jersey Sports Radio Special Teams Player of the Year ...Ā launched 29-of-39 kickoffs for a touchback ā¦ served as the Vikings' punter and as a team captain ā¦ namedĀ USA TodayĀ All-New Jersey, First Team Greater Middlesex Conference and first team all-area as a junior after making 7-of-8 field goals with a long of 40 yards and all 22 PATs in 2020 ā¦ booted a touchback on 19-of-36 kickoffs ā¦ a third team all-state selection as a sophomore in 2019 with a long of 44 yards ā¦ rated a four-star kicker by Kohl's Kicking.
Major: Business Analytics Information Technology / Rutgers Business Graduate School
Tuesday, September 15
Tuesday, September 08
Tuesday, September 08
Friday, September 04
