Michigan Football Keeps Kicking Competition Alive Despite Transfer Addition
The Michigan football team has added Arkansas State kicker Dominic Zvada, one of the most talented kickers in the country, to their roster this season. Despite this significant transfer addition, the kicking competition remains wide open.
Special Teams Competition for Michigan Football
Special Teams Coordinator JB Brown highlighted the ongoing competition on Michigan football’s “In the Trenches” podcast. “Right now we’ve got four kickers in right now,” Brown said. “We have Dominic Zvada, Adam Samaha, we have Charlie Mentzer, and we have (Stuart Blake) on campus right now. They’re all going to be competing for that No. 1 spot. Going through, and seeing who’s most consistent at putting it through the pipes is really what we’re looking for.”
Zvada’s Impressive Track Record
Zvada, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, boasts an impressive 85 percent success rate on field goals over the past two seasons. However, Ann Arbor native Adam Samaha could present stout competition. Samaha was Kornblue Kicking’s No. 1 kicker in the 2023 recruiting class and excelled in his final two seasons at Huron High School.
Mental Toughness in Focus
Brown emphasized that the mental aspect of kicking is crucial, stating, “So we try to train them mentally more than anything physically. Because physically they’re really good, that’s why they’re here. But mentally, that’s the separator for them.”
