The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523593
S P E C I A L T E A M S 112 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CHRIS BALAS J im Harbaugh made it clear when he first arrived at Michigan in 2015 that special teams would be a priority on his watch. From hiring elite coaches to spending the night at former kicker Quinn Nordin's house on a recruiting visit, he went the ex- tra mile to ensure that part of the game would be a strength. It was so important to him, in fact, that he groomed his son, Jay Harbaugh, as spe- cial teams coach. He was rewarded with years of outstanding kicking and punting, returns and coverage. It's now up to former analyst J.B. Brown to take the reins after the younger Har- baugh took a job with the Seattle Seahawks. Head coach Sherrone Moore didn't hesitate to promote him, showing confidence in the young coach after Brown's three years in the program. He'll inherit an outstand- ing punter and kickoff specialist in senior Tommy Doman, but for the second straight season the Wolverines will have to replace an outstanding kicker, this time James Turner. It's hard to remember a time when the Wolverines had a pair so consistent back- to-back as Jake Moody (now with the San Francisco 49ers) and Turner (a free agent signee with the Detroit Lions) — Moody went 29-for-35 his fifth and final year, and Turner 18-for-21, including three huge kicks to help beat Ohio State — but they may have found an answer in Arkansas State transfer Dominic Zvada. A Chandler, Ariz., native, Zvada was un- der the radar and didn't get many offers. It didn't take him long, though, to prove his detractors wrong. The junior became a Lou Groza Award semifinalist — only the fifth player in Arkansas State history to earn that recognition — in his first season, going 17-for-18 on field goals, his only miss from 51 yards. His made kicks included a 56-yarder at Texas State, the second-lon- gest in the FBS during the 2022 season, and he reportedly became the first kicker to go a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals in a game at Ohio State since 2000. Zvada scored a career-high 92 points as a sophomore, going 17-for-22 on field goals and 41-for-41 on extra points, and was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List. "His name was thrown around last year with different schools I talked to when they'd inquire about guys," said Brandon Kornblue, a former Michigan kicker and the founder of Kornblue Kicking School. "Then he had another good year. The big- Senior punter Tommy Doman was tied for 31st nationally last season with a 44.3-yard average. He landed 18 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and 12 of his 53 boots went 50 or more yards. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL QUICK FACTS Position Coach: J.B. Brown (1st year as assistant coach, after 3 seasons as analyst) Returning Starter: P Tommy Doman, LS William Wagner Departing Starter: K James Turner Projected New Starter: K Dominic Zvada Top Reserves: LS Greg Tarr, K Adam Samaha Wait Until 2025: K Adam Samaha Newcomer: Zvada (transfer from Arkansas State) Rookie Impact: None Most Improved Player: Doman Best Pro Prospect: Zvada CHANGING OF THE GUARD Under A New Coach, The Kicking Game Figures To Be A Strength Again In 2024