The other day, Dominic Zvada walked into the Michigan football team’s facilities wearing a Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant jersey. Backwards.
Sherrone Moore loved it.
“I was like, ‘Dude, you’re the only kicker in the country that can wear that with that much swag,’ ” the Wolverines coach said Monday. “It was beautiful.”
It’s a fitting level of swag given the senior kicker’s recent year — one of the best kicking seasons in program history. After transferring from Arkansas State ahead of last season, Zvada was a diamond in the rough, serving as a consistent piece to aid an inconsistent offense that often fluctuated between mediocre and miserable. When the Wolverines needed a field goal — whether from 20 yards or 50-plus — they could almost always count on Zvada.
En route to a 95.5% field goal percentage, Zvada converted on key kicks in two of Michigan’s biggest wins last season.
Against Ohio State, Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to hand the Wolverines a lead they never relinquished. Zvada also converted on a 54-yarder earlier in that game against the Buckeyes. In the ReliaQuest bowl against Alabama, Zvada was ice-cold once again, nailing in kicks from 45, 37, 30 and 21 yards and kicking an extra point to provide Michigan 13 of its 19 points in the win. Both of Zvada’s misses on the season, rendering him 21-for-22 on field goals and 26-for-27 on extra points, were blocked.
Before last year, the Wolverines’ single-season record for made field goals longer than 50 yards was four. Last year, Zvada hit all seven of his attempts from over 50 yards. Mock drafts last season confirmed the obvious — those are NFL numbers.
So it was equally relieving and exciting for Moore and Michigan when Zvada announced his return to the team for his senior year. In coming back, Zvada erases any need to turn to the transfer portal to supplement the position, and his return ensures that the Wolverines can breathe easy the moment the ball crosses the 35-yard line.
And with spring practices starting last week, Zvada is already back in form.
“He had like a 60-yarder the other day and just walked off like nothing happened.” Moore said.
Unless Zvada can somehow become reliable from 60 yards, it’s nearly impossible for Zvada to improve upon last season — nearly.
The Lou Groza Award, the annual college football honor given out to the best kicker in the country, did not recognize Zvada as one of three semifinalists last year, despite earning Big Ten Kicker of the Year and a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection. Zvada referenced to the media toward the end of last season that having another chance to compete for the award played an important part in his return.
Were Zvada to maintain or outdo last year’s kicking performance, he would cement himself as one of Michigan’s greatest kickers, and likely establish a case to become a Lou Groza semifinalist. But more importantly, a strong year from Zvada would bolster what is already shaping up to be an improved offense for the Wolverines.
Apart from Zvada’s bold jersey selection and his ability to calmly nail 60-yard kicks, Moore was also quick to note that Zvada put on 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason.
“For a kicker, that probably doesn’t mean much,” Moore said. “But to him, he feels good.”
Extra muscle, or extra swag, may not matter much for a kicker. But Zvada is back and feeling good — and that matters a lot to Michigan.
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