The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/698673
10 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL 2017 Date Opponent Sept. 2 vs. Florida* Sept. 9 Cincinnati Sept. 16 Air Force Sept. 23 at Purdue Sept. 30 Open Oct. 7 Michigan State Oct. 14 at Indiana Oct. 21 at Penn State Oct. 28 Rutgers (Homecoming) Nov. 4 Minnesota Nov. 11 at Maryland Nov. 18 at Wisconsin Nov. 25 Ohio State * at Arlington, Texas 2018 Date Opponent Sept. 1 Arkansas Sept. 8 Open Sept. 15 SMU Sept. 22 Nebraska Sept. 29 at Northwestern Oct. 6 Maryland Oct. 13 Wisconsin Oct. 20 at Michigan State Oct. 27 Open Nov. 3 Penn State Nov. 10 at Rutgers Nov. 17 Indiana Nov. 24 at Ohio State 2019 Date Opponent Aug. 31 at Arkansas Sept. 7 Open Sept. 14 Open Sept. 21 at Wisconsin Sept. 28 Open Oct. 5 Iowa Oct. 12 at Illinois Oct. 19 at Penn State Oct. 26 Rutgers Nov. 2 at Maryland Nov. 9 Open Nov. 16 Michigan State Nov. 23 at Indiana Nov. 30 Ohio State 2020 Date Opponent Sept. 5 at Washington Sept. 12 Ball State Sept. 19 Virginia Tech Big Ten Slate: TBA Other Future Non-Conference Opponents: 2021: Sept. 11 at Virginia Tech, Sept. 18 vs. Washington 2022: Sept. 10 vs. UCLA 2023: Sept. 2 at UCLA 2024: Aug. 31 vs. Texas 2025: Sept. 6 at Oklahoma 2026: Sept. 12 vs. Oklahoma 2027: Sept. 4 at Texas FUTURE SCHEDULES Michigan freshman placekicker Quinn Nordin first came to a Uni- versity of Michigan football camp in junior high school. He'll be in a winged helmet this fall, and someone who has followed his path closely is expecting big results. Not that former U-M kicker Brandon Ko- rnblue — founder of Florida-based Kornblue Kicking, which puts on camps and gives group and private instruction to kickers — figures it has to happen this year. He knows it doesn't, but having worked with Nordin all along the way, Kornblue sees special achievements in store for the No. 1 prep kicker in the nation. Kornblue noted Nordin attended camps once in a while early on, then became very serious about it when he saw football as his future. "It was, 'All right, what do we need to do to get to the next level?'" Kornblue recalled. "That was probably late freshman, early sopho- more year. "He decided to go 100 percent with football. He'd come down to Florida once a year or so," Kornblue said. "Every time we would come up to Michigan or the Midwest, he'd come to our camps there. "He bought in. He trusted what I told him, how the process can work if you follow it. He followed it to a tee, and it worked perfectly for him." Kornblue waves off the notion that a high- level college kicker can be spotted in junior high. He's working right now, though, with a freshman who possesses a Division I offer. "He's a safe bet," Kornblue said. "He's the youngest kid I've ever heard of who has gotten a Division I offer. But you look at the kid, and he didn't look like he was 14 at all when offered. That's the exception." Kornblue did see Nordin coming on early in his high school years. "Freshman year, he was ahead of other guys his age," Kornblue said. "That was the first glimpse. But really, sophomore year was when there was no question he was going to be a big-time prospect if he continued on the path." Nordin has developed all phases of his kicking, according to his mentor. He's become a much better punter over the years, while he works at kicking off the ground rather than off a tee, in anticipation of his college years. "Initially, kickoffs were his No. 1," Kornblue said. "Field goals were his No. 2 and punting was a distant third. Now, his punting is almost neck-and-neck with his kicking. The adjustment right now, for him, is getting off the ground, and becoming more and more consistent." Nordin faced a setback his senior season. He broke his collarbone while serving as a wedge buster on an onside kick. That defi- nitely set back his training. "I'm really happy with where he's progress- ing," Kornblue said. "He's still got some work to do, obviously, but he's on the right track." Kornblue does offer a note of caution be- cause of the expectations generated by the No. 1 prep kicker tag. "It's so rare for a kicker to come in as a freshman and really be a solid contributor," Kornblue said. "It happens, but it's so rare. Most of the time, a highly recruited guy com- ing out of high school is disappointing for people to see — coaches and fans — because there are such high expectations. "But it's just like a quarterback. There is an adjustment that usually has to happen. Long term, no doubt, he's going to be a big-time, college-level guy, and possibly beyond. The question mark is, how quickly can he get to that high level of consistency that Michigan expects?" Kornblue likes Nordin's situation, given that fifth-year senior Kenny Allen is highly capable in all phases of the kicking game. "When coaches recruit to say, 'Okay, our senior is graduating. Now we offer a scholarship to a guy,' that's a really dangerous philosophy that a lot of coaches use," Kornblue offered. "But when you can have a guy sit for a year and get adjusted, that's what [Florida State's Lou Groza Award winner] Roberto Aguayo and a lot of great kickers did. "When they're able to do that, it's so beneficial. That's an ideal situation for him, if he redshirts. It's a bonus." Kornblue made it clear that as a competitor, that's not Nordin's plan. The veteran observer will sit back and see what happens, understanding that he's seeing two very strong kickers — one with a wealth of college experience — battling for some high-profile spots. Brandon Kornblue Has Watched Quinn Nordin's Development Up Close Rivals.com rated Nordin as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 22 player in Michigan and the No. 1 kicker in the country. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN