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 ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 115 Jake Moody Set A New Standard They always say "Next man up" in football. But this time around, the last man out raised the bar for all to follow. Jake Moody became Michigan's most prolific placekicker of all time in his five seasons in Ann Arbor. In his first game ever kicking for Michigan, he nailed a school-record 6 field goals against Indiana. He never looked back, going on to set U-M career records for points (355), field goals made (69), field goals of 40 or more yards (17) and extra-points percentage (100), while tying for most 50-and-over field goals (4). Last year alone, Moody rewrote Michigan's sin- gle-season record book for field goal makes (29), extra points (60), points scored (147) and field goals of 40 or more yards (10). A consensus All-American in 2021, Moody earned second-team All-America status by mul- tiple entities last year. A four-time All-Big Ten per- former, Moody became Michigan's first winner of the Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year Award, capturing the distinction in both of his final two seasons in Ann Arbor. Moody became Michigan's first Lou Groza Award winner in 2021, earning finalist status last year as well. "Legend," noted head coach Jim Harbaugh, after a Moody game-winning field goal against Illinois. "I've been watching Michigan football since I was a kid, I'm a pretty decent historian of Michigan football, and I am nominating him for legendary status." — John Borton BIOS POSITION COACH Jay Harbaugh, now in his ninth season on the U-M staff, enters his second year as the safeties coach this fall and is in his fourth campaign as the special teams coordinator. Previously, he served as U-M's assistant special teams coach from 2015-19 and coached the tight ends in 2015-16 and 2021 sandwiched around three seasons with the running backs (2017-20). Michigan has finished top 15 nationally in Football Outsiders' special teams efficiency rating four out of five seasons, including No. 1 and No. 8 finishes the past two years, respectively. Before joining the U-M staff, Harbaugh spent the 2012-14 seasons under the tutelage of his uncle John in the NFL, including being part of the Balti- more Ravens coaching staff that won Super Bowl XL- VII in 2013, beating his father's San Francisco 49ers. RETURNING PLAYERS TOMMY DOMAN • P/K Jr. • West Bloomfield, Mich. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 208 • Appeared in four games as a placekicker and kickoff specialist, and punted in one in 2022. Converted 2 ex- tra points and punted once for 41 yards, and booted 6 touchbacks on 8 kickoffs. • Did not see game action during the 2021 sea- son. • Selected for the 2021 All-American Bowl fol- lowing his senior season at Orchard Lake St. Mary's High. • As a senior, named a six-star punter by Chris Sailer Kicking, which listed him as the No. 1 punter and No. 9 kicker in the land. • Kornblue Kicking tabbed him as a member of the Fab50 and a five-star prospect, and also ranked him as the nation's No. 2 punter and No. 2 kicker. • Named to The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press Dream Teams as a senior. He also was tabbed to The Detroit News All-State team as a sophomore and junior. • Pegged as a three-star prospect and the No. 2 punter nationally by the On3 Industry Ranking. Year GP Punts Avg. FC I20 Long 2022 1 1 41 1 1 41 WILLIAM WAGNER • LS Gr. • Alpharetta, Ga. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 258 • Started five games at long snapper in 2022, before suf- fering a season-ending knee injury at Iowa Oct. 1. • Earned a scholarship from U-M during the 2022 offseason. • Played in all 14 games at long snapper in 2021. Named Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance at Nebraska. • Contributed to all six games during the 2020 season. • Did not see game action in 2019. • Special Teams Player of the Year at Alpharetta in 2018. NEWCOMERS JAMES TURNER • K Gr. • Saline, Mich. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 205 • Transferred to Michigan this offseason after four seasons (three as a starter) at Lou- isville and has one year of eligibility remaining. Has made 47 of his 59 career field goals with a long of 50 yards. • Earned honorable mention All-ACC accolades in 2022, after going 20 of 22 on field goals. His 20 made kicks were tied for the most in school history. • Connected on 14 of 22 field goals during the 2021 campaign. • Named All-ACC honorable mention in 2020, converting on 13 of 15 field goals, including a career-best 50-yarder. • Handled kickoffs in five games as a freshman in 2019. • First-team All-State selection by The Detroit News as a senior, when he made 12 of 12 field goals and 45 of 46 extra points for Saline High. • Rated a five-star, the No. 20 kicker and No. 113 punter in his class by Chris Sailer Kicking. Year GP PAT FG Long Points 2019* 5 0 0 0 0 2020* 11 40-40 13-15 50 79 2021* 13 46-48 14-22 46 88 2022* 13 38-39 20-22 48 98 Totals 42 124 47-59 50 265 * at Louisville ADAM SAMAHA • K Fr. • Ann Arbor, Mich. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 170 • Converted on 11 of 14 field goals with a career-long and program-record 49-yarder and was perfect on extra points as a prep senior. • Made 7 of his 10 field goal attempts with a 42- yard long and was flawless on PATs as a junior. • U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant and Detroit Free Press Dream Team member in 2022. • Regarded as a three-star prospect and the nation's No. 10 kicker per the On3 Industry Ranking. • Ranked by Kornblue Kicking as the No. 1 pros- pect in the 2023 class, a five-star prospect. • Also rated a five-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR ADAM SAMAHA is a summer enrollee who's here to compete from the jump. The Ann Arbor Huron High product participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was the No. 1 kicking prospect in the class of 2023 according to Kornblue Kicking. Nothing will be handed to James Turner, a Louisville grad transfer, as the placekicker, and Samaha has the chance to earn the job. PHOTO BY CLAYTON SAYFIE