Michigan kicker Tommy Doman showing out as jack-of-all-trades
In the transfer portal era, many young players — not just at Michigan, but everywhere — aren’t always eager to wait their turn. Immediate eligibility has several looking to greener pastures when things don’t work out, or if the depth chart gets crowded.
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Tommy Doman isn’t one of those guys. In fact, when the sophomore kicker/punter learned both all-conference kicker Jake Moody and punter Brad Robbins were returning for one more year, he was happy to have them back for his team.
“Another year to develop,” he shrugged when asked how he viewed it.
In short, he’s happy to have two outstanding mentors back to show him the ropes.
Doman started to improve immediately, and in all areas, while working with Moody and Robbins. He started a bit slowly but improved greatly in his first few months.
“I think it’s just all the small things, really,” he said of what he learned from his fellow kickers. “The mentality of it, a lot of the wind conditions … how to deal with certain conditions. Kicking in the Big Ten is a little harder, you know. To see how they handle it, the composure, maybe coming back from a bad kick to continue to have good ones …
“That’s something I think I can learn from them. Kicking, you can’t replicate it as much, but you can replicate that same mentality. That makes you successful.”
It takes a special guy, though, to be able to handle both kicking and punting. Doing all three (both of those and kickoffs) is even more rare, but Doman is on a path leading to that possibility.
“I’ve talked to them about it. It’s kind of up to me,” the Michigan sophomore continued. “If I perform at that level, they’ll put me out there for that. But they just want the best person to play. That’s how they want to do it.”
He’s got a believer in Moody.
“Tommy’s great. Having a guy that has the ability to do all three at a high level, it’s pretty special,” he said. “He could be the first three combo guy since Kenny Allen (in 2016). He’s been doing really well. It took some adjusting at first from high school to college, but that’s how it is. Now he’s really fitting in the group and doing well.”
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But he has more work to do, he noted. And he’s staying prepared, knowing he’s only an injury to someone away from getting his chance.
Though the lanky, 6-5, 190-pounder has been punting well, he believes he’s developed more as a kicker.
“I got a lot better because the operation time, the rhythm got better,” he said. “During the spring we did well with operation, me, [holder Alan] Bowman and [snapper] Greg Tarr. It’s good operation and been getting better, will as we keep on getting reps.”
He’s learning from the best, he said, even though they (jokingly) let him know his place.
“They’re the older guys — I’m the younger guy,” he said with a laugh. “That’s 100 percent. But it’s all in good fun.”
And fun it’s been, he said, learning while playing for a Big Ten champion with the possibility of even better days to come.
