![Aidan Laros - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics Aidan Laros - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/imgproxy/ZXVoZbbfKO6u_idz0MhKz2lMiyacvlMGKRBwf4xw2M4/fit/600/800/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3VrYXRobGV0aWNzLWNvbS8yMDI0LzA3L2M2MWZkOWMzLWxhcm9zX2FpZGFuXzAxLXNjYWxlZC5qcGc.png)
AidanLaros
- position Punter
- height 6-2
- Weight 212
- class Junior
- Hometown Capetown, South Africa
- High school Northwood
- Previous School UT Martin/Charlotte
2024 – Junior
• Transferred to UK after two seasons at Charlotte and one at UT Martin
2023 – Sophomore (UT Martin)
• Played in all 11 games for the Skyhawks as the team’s primary specialist for field goals, punts, kickoffs and point after attempts
• Helped team to inaugural Big South-OVC Football Association championship
• Led FCS in punting (47.3 ypp) and ranked ninth in net punting (40.83)
• Booted 52 punts for 2,458 yards
• Tallied 18 punts of 50 yards or more
• Placed 16 punts inside the 20-yard line
• Had 15 punts resulting in fair catches and seven touchbacks
• Averaged 47.3 yards per punt – the best mark in school history
• Converted 10-of-16 field goal attempts
• Converted 43-of-45 point after attempts
• Scored 73 points on the season
• Booted 65 kickoffs for 4,036 yards
• Averaged 62.1 yards per kickoff
• Posted 42 touchbacks and booted two out of bounds
• Tabbed consensus FCS All-American
• Named Augusta Sports Council FCS Punter of the Year
• AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America first team
• Associated Press FCS All-American first team
• FCS ADA All-America first team
• FCS Football Central All-American first team
• Phil Steele FCS All-American first team
• Stats Perform FCS All-American first team
• Walter Camp FCS All-American
• Tabbed Big South-OVC Football Association Special Teams Player of the Year
• Big South-OVC Football Association first team
• Phil Steele FCS Special Teams Player of the Year
• Phil Steele All-Conference first team (punter
• Named to FCS Football Central All-Conference first team
• Phil Steele All-Conference fourth team (kicker
• Earned a pair of Big South-OVC Specialist of the Week selection (Oct. 2 and Oct. 23)
• Booted a pair of 70-yard punts against Charleston Southern (Oct. 21) and Gardner-Webb (Oct. 28
• Tallied four punts of 50 yards or more against No. 1 Georgia (Sept. 2)
• Scored a season-best 12 points against Houston Christian (Sept. 16)
2022 – r-Freshman (Charlotte)
• Handled all kickoff duties, tallying 51 kickoffs for 3,093 yards
• Averaged 60.6 yards per kickoff attempt
• Opponents returned just 13 kicks
• Booted 28 touchbacks
• Kicked a season-high 510 yards on eight attempts against Rice
• Earned 2022 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal and to Commissioner’s Honor Roll
• Named to Chancellor’s List in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 with a perfect 4.0 GPA
2021 -Freshman (Charlotte)
• Redshirt season
High School
• Prepped at Northwood High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for head coach Cullen Homolka
• Helped team to 3A Big 8 Conference championship as a senior
• Ranked as a three-year starter after being called up to varsity during the playoffs as a freshman
• While also playing linebacker, was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-league selection
• Earned Region Player of the Week honors as a junior for both his work as a specialist and linebacker
• Member of the National Honors Society
Personal
• Born in Cape Town, South Africa
• Son of Adrian and Ann Laros
• Siblings are Adam and Alison Laros
• Moved to the United States as a freshman in high school
• Father, Adrian, played 14 seasons of Division I rugby in South Africa and three seasons of professional rugby in France … Grandfather, Paul Ripchik, was a left-handed pitcher in the Canadian League in the late 1950s
• Major is pre-finance
Aidan Says
• One thing most people don’t know about him is that he’s from South Africa
• Three words to describe him are humble, trustworthy and hardworking
• If he could have dinner with a famous person, dead or alive, he would choose Elon Musk
• His favorite musical instrument to play is the triangle
• The best advice he’s ever received is from his family “never lose your hunger for success”