Michigan’s special teams were a net positive last year, very good for much of the season with one or two major exceptions. Fifth-year senior and former walk-on Kenny Allen is the guy the coaches will turn to in an effort to ensure there’s no letdown.
The Wolverines kept some of former special teams coach Dave Baxter’s teachings, while assistants Chris Partridge and Jay Harbaugh have also taken some things they’ve picked up from other places, incorporated their own ideas for 2016. For now, at least, it appears Allen will be the guy to handle all of the kicking and punting duties.
“Pretty much everything he’s improved on,” Harbaugh said. “We ask a lot of him to shoulder the burden in all three phases. Not too many guys in the country do it … Hawaii has a guy who was one of five guys in the country to do it last year, [Rigo] Sanchez, a kid who is a very talented guy.
“But Kenny has excelled and improved in every way. It’s exciting for him as a senior to be doing so well in every category.”
Ideally, someone else could emerge to handle kickoffs. Freshman Quinn Nordin, for example, has been “really good,” Harbaugh said, with just as strong a leg as advertised. He’s not the only one, either, though Harbaugh didn’t give specifics.
If it’s all three for Allen, though, Harbaugh said they’d be more than comfortable with it.
“Physically, he’s more than capable of doing all three. He has the talent,” Harbaugh said. “Ideally we’d take a little off his plate, but it’s a long season. As other guys develop into certain roles, I think that could happen. But we’d be more than comfortable with him doing it if need be.”
Allen has gotten even better on field goals after making 81 percent last season in a very good first year.
“His attention to detail is outstanding. He is very, very coachable,” Harbaugh said. “He repeats his mechanics and has the ability to be very, very consistent. Things that were inconsistent in the past, he has gone out of his way to improve. Areas of the field where he wasn’t kicking field goals as well, he’s taken coaching and made tweaks to try to be more consistent and better.”
NOTES
• Redshirt sophomore Jabrill Peppers is slated to handle punt return, veterans Jourdan Lewis and Jehu Chesson kick return in the early going. There are others capable of handling those duties, as well.
“There are a few guys that will have an opportunity,” Harbaugh said. “Of the young guys, [freshman] Khaleke Hudson has returned some, David Long has returned some. All three of the receivers [Kekoa Crawford, Eddie McDoom and Nate Johnson] have done a little bit. Chris Evans has. All those guys are capable of it.
“Sometimes you don’t want your All-American guys returning kicks, but you also like it because they are electrifying and give you a chance to make a big play. Also, as the season goes on, the young guys get more comfortable. Sometimes having a freshman back there fielding a punt doesn't give you the best feeling in the world. You want to give them some experience under their belt, let them get pretty comfortable before you put them out there doing something that’s pretty difficult to do.”
