Michigan’s special teams units lost some big guns from last season, including kicker/punter Kenny Allen and return men Jabrill Peppers and Jourdan Lewis.

Not surprisingly, special teams coordinator Chris Partridge isn’t conceding any huge steps backward.

“Oh, heck yeah,” he said of the units’ improvement. “That’s what we’ve got to do. We have to improve. We’ve got no choice. We’re getting better and better, getting more comfortable back there. We’ll be a dynamic unit with a lot of depth.”

Reports from those close to camp insist that kicking isn’t going to be a problem for this team. The Wolverines feature redshirt freshman placekicker Quinn Nordin, who boomed a spring game field goal that would have been good from 65-plus yards. They also have other veteran placekickers competing.

Freshman punter Brad Robbins was a top prep performer in his specialty, and he’s also battling for the job. Partridge, though, wasn’t naming any names in talking to the media about the units on Wednesday.

“It’s a bunch of guys,” he said, regarding both the return men and other units. “We’re all competing, we’re all in camp. We’ve got a bunch of guys who are competing for the spots and working hard and getting better and better.”

As for the kicking competition, Partridge added: “It’s going to stay wide open. They’ll all have a chance to compete at a high level, every day. That’s going to go to the very end.

“It’s the same with the return guys, same with the snappers. They’re all even right now. They’re all competing for the job.”

Sophomore receiver Nate Johnson is among a host of players battling to return punts. His spring game bobbles haven’t stopped him from competing hard, while demonstrating he’s got better hands than he showed that day.

“It’s something he knows he has to focus on, just like the rest of them,” Partridge said. “They work together really well.”

Michigan features a host of speedy performers who could potentially return kicks and punts. Players such as true freshman wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones, sophomore receivers Eddie McDoom and Kekoa Crawford, Johnson, and a number of others could wind up with the ball in their hands on kicks.

Partridge knows this much — there’s no star exemption when it comes to the big plays on special teams.

“Returning is one of the hardest things to do,” he said. “The best guy on the team is going to do that, that’s able to do that. There’s no, hey, he’s a star, he can’t do it. There’s none of that.

“It’s the best guy who is able to catch punts and get vertical, the best guy who is able to catch kicks and get vertical, break tackles. Those are the guys who will do it. They’re all competing for it.”

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