The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ S P E C I A L T E A M S ] 112 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Change Of Cast A Whole New Crew Will Handle The Kicking Game BY JOHN BORTON N obody in Michigan Stadium checked their rosters when it came time to kick the football the past couple of years. Jake Moody and Brad Robbins became the Lennon and McCartney of sweet foot-to-leather music for the Wolverines. Both found their way to the NFL this spring, via the draft. Former U-M place- kicker Brandon Kornblue knows the drill in terms of replacing them, but he's not without a word of caution for onlookers. Kornblue, owner of the training ser- vice Kornblue Kicking, urges a little pa- tience regarding the dramatic change the Wolverines will experience in 2023. "You have to realize you have the level of talent that has just left," he said. "Even when I was there, it was drummed in, as players, that the expectation is for the position. At Michigan, the expectation is excellence and being the best. That doesn't change. "To be drafted at both positions means both of those guys were cream of the crop in the country. The next guys, the expectation is the same. However, it does sometimes take a little time to get your bearings." While the Wolverines will see change at all three kicking duties (field goals, punts and kickoffs), they might not be devoid of starting experience for all. That's because James Turner, a former standout prep kicker at nearby Saline High School, found his way back to Michigan this spring via the transfer portal from Louisville, where he'd spent four seasons with the Cardinals, includ- ing the last three as a starter. Turner twice earned honorable men- tion All-ACC acclaim while at Louis- ville, making 47 of 59 field goal attempts (79.7 percent) in 42 career games. Last season, he connected on 90.9 percent of his attempts, going 20-for-22. He proved perfect from 20-39 yards out, 17-for-17, while making good on 3 of 5 attempts between 40 and 49 yards. Those numbers should usher him immediately into competition for the field goal kicking job, although there is competition for the grad transfer. Junior kicker/punter Tommy Doman brings his strong leg into play this season, while freshman Adam Samaha, from nearby Ann Arbor Huron High, will also battle for the job. "Obviously, the transfer could make things more reliable or pre- dictable from a field goal perspective," Kornblue noted. Still, nobody will concede the job. In the kicking game, results on the practice field determine who plays on Saturday, and on field goals, there's no judgment call involved. The ball goes through the uprights, or it doesn't. Doman kicked off 8 times last sea- son, averaging 64.6 yards per try, with 6 touchbacks. He punted once, a 41-yarder, and attempted no field goals. He possesses the versatility to do all three, but it's unlikely Michigan's coaches will want to revisit a Kenny Al- len ironman act of a few years back. "In terms of Tommy Doman, he is a really talented guy," Kornblue said. "He reminds me a lot of Kenny in that he can do all three. He's gotten better, having time to sit and grow and learn. I'm ex- pecting him to come in as a punter and do really well. "I think that is his strength, and the coaches really want that to be his focus. That being said, he has the talent to be able to contribute at one or even both of those other positions as well. Kickoffs is where there is going to be the most ❱ Michigan ranked eighth in the country in Football Outsiders' special teams efficiency ratings last season. The Wolverines' stand- out aspects were kickoff coverage (15th), punt return (19th) and field goal (20th). ❱ There were three placekickers chosen in the 2023 NFL Draft — U-M's Jake Moody (third round, San Francisco 49ers), Maryland's Chad Ryland (fourth) and Auburn's Anders Carlson (sixth). Ryland transferred to Mary- land from Eastern Michigan ahead of last season, before earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022, showing that one who moves schools (like senior James Turner from Louisville to U-M this season) can make an immediate impact with his new program. ❱ Turner's 90.9 field goal percentage ranked 12th nationally and third in the ACC in 2022, and he was one of 37 kickers to average 1.7 or more attempts per game. ❱ U-M became only the second program in the last 40 years to have both a kicker and punter chosen in the NFL Draft when Moody and punter Brad Robbins (sixth round, Cin- cinnati Bengals) were selected last spring. [ F Y I ] James Turner, a former standout prep kick- er at nearby Saline (Mich.) High, found his way back to Michigan this spring via the transfer portal from Louisville, where he spent four seasons with the Cardinals. PHOTO COURTESY LOUISVILLE ATHLETICS