Michigan football: An underrated portal position to watch
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore will look to the spring portal to fill a few needs, especially on offense. The Wolverines will also be on the lookout at a few other positions, though, including one more important than many might believe.
That’s punter, where Tommy Doman was hoped to be the guy for one more year. Doman is off to Florida, though, and that leaves Hudson Hollenbeck and Marlin Klein (yes, starting tight end Marlin Klein). Hollenbeck had a few good kicks in the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama but was inconsistent, though special teams coach J.B. Brown said recently he’s performing well.
“I feel great with Hudson. I think he’s had a really good spring,” Brown said. “I think he’s matured a lot, especially from the game against Alabama, where he did have some good punts that we thought that could help us win the ball game. He had the big 69-yard one, and then he pinned them a couple of times.
“I think his confidence has gone above and beyond now. I think he feels like a starter. We definitely want to try to get around six guys in the room, two at each spot, so we’re looking for someone else to bring in to create that competition, but he’s done a great job this spring so far. We truly trust him.”
The Wolverines are also bringing in Beckham Sunderland, a kicker/punter out of Texas State, but it’s clear they want more competition. That’s where the portal comes in, though sources have said it’s “cutthroat” to find a punter in the spring.
Top 10
- 1New
Lane Kiffin
Jabs Brian Kelly, Kirby Smart
- 2Hot
Potential landing spots
For Nico Iamaleava
- 3Trending
Mel Kiper
3-Round Mock Draft
- 4
Jaydn Ott
Top transfer RB signs with OU
- 5
Marcus Freeman
Reacts to Nico Iamaleava
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
That puts more pressure on Hollenbeck, a transfer who came to Michigan a year ago.
“Just continue on his consistency,” Brown said when asked where he needed to improve. “Because at times, like you guys saw in the Alabama game, he has the potential to hit that grade A ball that we all love. We want to continue to get that more and more out of him.”
Klein, meanwhile, has been a pleasant surprise as the current Michigan backup punter.
“That’s great for fakes, too. We love that,” Brown said. “So, it’s not bad to have a great tight end back there being able to punt. He’s done it in practice and in pregame quite often and he’s done it in high school, as well.
“But obviously, we’re going to go look for another one to bring into the room through this next cycle. But yeah, he’s done a pretty good job this spring. Beckham Sunderland’s coming in, and I’m excited to see what he does. He has a very strong leg, extremely good ball contact. You saw it at Texas State right when he signed, so I’m excited to see what he does.”
The starter won’t be determined until fall, most likely. It’s clear, though, they’ll have options … hopefully, one of them will emerge to make the position the strength it should be at a place like Michigan.
