The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2018 THE WOLVERINE 37 PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 2018 SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW. SPECIALISTS M ichigan fans wondered what would become of the kicking game after do-it-all Kenny Allen departed, following the 2016 season. Redshirt sophomore Quinn Nor- din put the field goal side of those concerns to rest in a hurry, and he has the leg to become a Michigan record holder. The Wolverines' return men showed flashes, Donovan Peoples-Jones particularly stepping forward as a threat in his rookie season. He can become a genuine difference maker, supplying big plays for the Wolverines. Sophomore Ambry Thomas is another sometimes overlooked special teams performer, who pounced on a fumble during kickoff coverage in the opener against Florida. He possesses the speed to be special on kick returns. BY THE NUMBERS 6 Field goals from 40 yards or more (on eight at te m p t s ) m a d e by Quinn Nordin last fall, which tied for second on Michigan's all-time single-season list. 15.0 Average yards U-M al- lowed on kickoff returns, which ranked first in the land by more than 1.5 yards per attempt. 79 The distance on then- freshman Donovan Peo- ples-Jones' punt return touchdown against Air Force, tied for the 10th- longest in school history. 79.2 Nordin's percentage on field goals in his first season, tying for 12th on Michigan's single- season list (minimum 10 attempts) and third on its career list (minimum 15 attempts). 320 Pu n t re t u r n y a rd s posted by Peoples-Jones last fall, the eight-high- est tally ever by a Wol- verine. POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH Brad Robbins certainly goes into spring practice as the man to beat at punter, a scholarship per- former who has the better part of a year in the spotlight. But he proved inconsistent enough that others might mount a challenge in the spring. Will Hart is one redshirt sopho- more with punting experience on the roster (37.7-yard average on 13 kicks). Michigan may feature other challengers at that spot as well, in seeking the best out of the position. It still says here an improved Robbins emerges, but he'll be earning his job every week for a while. WHO'S GONE HOLDER GARRETT MOORES Moores poked some self-deprecating fun when he won the Mortell Holder of the Year award two seasons ago, but it's no joke he proved extremely steady the past two seasons. Moores held for Quinn Nordin's 55-yard field goal at AT&T Stadium in last year's opener. WHO'S BACK SOPHOMORE RETURNER DONOVAN PEOPLES- JONES Peoples-Jones enjoyed some explosive moments as a true freshman, as well as some teachable ones. He returned one punt for a touchdown and aver- aged 8.0 yards per runback to rank 28th nationally, and should be poised for more this season. REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE PLACEKICKER QUINN NORDIN He nailed 19 of 24 field goal attempts in 2017, including a 55-yarder in the season opener at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. He inexplicably missed three ex- tra points, but led the Wolverines in scoring with 92 points and tied for second in single-season makes. SOPHOMORE PUNTER BRAD ROBBINS Although he struggled at times with the stroke that made him a highly coveted prep, Robbins still averaged 40.4 yards per boot as a true freshman, including four of 50 yards or more with a long of 58. TOP NEWCOMERS FRESHMAN RONNIE BELL Bell posted a punt return touchdown as a senior in Kansas City, and his speed and quickness might wind up showing up on special teams, after he caught 89 passes for 1,605 yards (18.0 average) in his final prep year. FRESHMAN JULIUS WELSCHOF The rookie from Germany appears the type of physical freak who might excel early on for Michi- gan's special teams. He's 6-6, 253 pounds and has clocked a self-reported 4.55 40-yard dash. BY JOHN BORTON "You've got Wild Thing [Quinn Nordin] kicking extra points and field goals, and he's going to kick some 55-yarders where you're like, 'This is amazing!' He's also going to miss 25-yarders, where you're like, 'What the hell is he doing?' "That's part of being a young kicker. Once that gets in a kicker's mind, no matter how confident they are, that's there." —U-M All-American Jon Jansen QUOTABLE QUINN NORDIN