The Wolverine

May2020-issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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46 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2020   COMMITMENT PROFILE T ommy Doman is living his dream. The highly touted kicker/ punter out of Orchard Lakes (Mich.) St. Mary's grew up wanting to play for Michigan. So much so that he attended Michigan's specialists camps every summer since he was 13 years old. After finally earning a pre- ferred walk-on offer last sum- mer, Doman was elated. But a scholarship from the Wolver- ines is what he truly coveted. And that finally came April 2. Of course, Doman wasted no time and gave Michigan a ver- bal commitment on the spot. "I've been going to the Mich- igan specialists camps since seventh grade," Doman said. "I've built up a great relation- ship with Coach Tyler Brown [U-M's special teams analyst]. He offered me a preferred walk-on last summer. I kept in touch, sent some film and continued to build that relationship. Michigan has al- ways been my dream school. I said if Michigan ever offered me a scholar- ship, I would commit on the spot. "We scheduled a FaceTime with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, Coach [Jay] Harbaugh and Mr. [Matty] Dudek [U-M's director of re- cruiting]. They offered me a scholarship, and it felt natural to ac- cept it on the spot. I couldn't be happier." Getting a Michigan offer directly from head coach Jim Har- baugh and commit- ting to him via video chat made the moment even more special for Doman. "It was awesome," he said. "The pedigree he has and the accomplish- ments he's had at the pro and college level — he's just such a humble guy. He's an old Michigander. "We talked about previous times I saw him. He came to my school and played horse with Coach [Don] Brown. I was the ball relay guy. He said, 'We've come a long way since then.' I said, 'Yeah, I'm excited to play for you.'" Doman committed to Michigan over offers from Air Force, Army, Boston College, Colorado State and Washington State. While it's not often that a pure specialist is a full scholarship take, Doman is one of the best kickers and punters in the country. He was a first-team all-state kicker accord- ing to the Associated Press and also earned a spot on the 2019 Kohl's National S c h o l a r s h i p C a m p All-Camp team as a punter. All three major kick- ing services view him as a top-five punter and top-10 kicker na- tionally. "I see myself doing both at Michigan," Doman said. "I've worked on both throughout the years to see if one or the other came natu- rally, but it's really been both. I'm pursuing to do all three — kickoffs, punts and field goals. "Jake Camarda was a really good combo guy for Georgia. I always looked up to him going through the Kohl's kicking camps. That's the one guy I model myself after." As mentioned, Doman built a strong relationship with Tyler Brown, whose father, Randy, works under Harbaugh's brother, John Har- baugh, with the Baltimore Ra- vens. Brown was a big reason why Doman is now a Michigan commit. "Coach Brown is a funny guy," Doman said. "As the kicking coach, he adds a little bit of flare and gives his guys confidence. He has faith in his guys to go out there and get the job done. Coach Brown likes that I can do all three and that I'm a tall, lean guy. He's excited to get me in the weight room. He likes my body con- trol and size." Doman, an Adidas All- American, is ranked as the No. 2 punter and No. 8 kicker nationally by former Wolver- ine Brandon Kornblue, who runs one of the nation's most recognized kicking camps. — EJ Holland Five-Star Kicker Tommy Doman Accomplishes Lifelong Dream With Michigan Pledge FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Tommy Doman brings a strong leg to the table and is capa- ble of making kicks from 45 yards- plus. He is accurate where he needs to be — 30-40 yards — and brings a calm and cool demeanor in pres- sure situations. He is also one of the top punters in the country. A true combo specialist, Doman will be ex- pected to do both at a high level at Michigan. Weaknesses: While Doman brings a strong leg, he will need to con- tinue to improve on his deep field goal accuracy. He is capable of mak- ing field goals from long distances, but he needs to connect on them on a more consistent basis. Ball placement on punts is another area of focus. Michigan Player Comparison: Doman is primarily listed as a punter and should have a similar impact as Will Hart, who was a semifinal- ist for the Ray Guy Award in 2018. Of course, Doman will be expected handle kicking duties as well, some- thing Hart did not do during his time at Michigan — but he also comes in with a much higher re- cruiting profile than Hart. — EJ Holland Doman "Michigan has always been my dream school. I said if Michigan ever offered me a scholar- ship, I would commit on the spot." Doman is listed as a top-five punter and top-10 kicker nationally by all the major kicking services, including Kohl's (No. 3 kicker, No. 4 punter), Chris Sailer (No. 1 punter, No. 5 kicker) and Kornblue Kicking (No. 2 punter, No. 8 kicker). PHOTO COURTESY DOMAN VIA TWITTER

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