Michigan offers a kicker!
Michigan offered kicker Connor Loftus from California. He is a 3 star on espn and hasn't missed a field goal from within 40 yards this year. He's also made two from over 50! Other offers include Boise State, NC State, North Carolina and Navy. If we could get this kid, that sure would end our kicking problems!
December 7th, 2010 at 5:37 PM ^
Because this is worthy of it's own! Fabulous news.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:37 PM ^
That is the real question.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^
Can he kick between the uprights? If so, thats a big improvement.
December 7th, 2010 at 6:05 PM ^
that all of our potential kickers are on the M soccer team.
December 7th, 2010 at 7:28 PM ^
Good luck to Justin and the rest of the team this weekend at the College Cup. Go Blue!
December 7th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
Did I miss something? Why isn't this kid our kicker
December 7th, 2010 at 7:43 PM ^
I don't know, maybe he llikes soccer more than football.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:43 PM ^
Yup, dude's a littlle busy with a little thing called the college cup (soccer final four)
December 7th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
You would be surprised how many people can kick a fifty yard field goal with no offense or defensive lines and no one watching. I have even done it. His kicks obviously look better than mine did, but there is still a big difference having to get elevation quickly and dealing with the pressure. I have been hearing how well our kickers have kicked in practice, too. It wasn't until the games that they have fallen apart.
December 8th, 2010 at 9:33 AM ^
Plus, he is kicking with a tee. This is much easier than kicking off of the ground with a holder. You also have the possibility of a bad hold and pulling a Ray Finkle.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:49 PM ^
10000% cosign. He's right here on campus. What can be so freaking hard about getting him onto the team for at least a game or two?
December 7th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
FWIW, I sent that video to Brandon on twitter 2 months ago. Maybe that was foolish, but figured it was worth a shot.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
If I'm not mistaken, Meram's eligibility for soccer is up this year so he could try to walk on to the football team for next year.
The ball simply explodes off his foot. Amazing!
December 7th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^
As Meram said to some Maryland players who asked who he was, "next year i'll be on TV". He'll be playing profesional soccer next year.
December 8th, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^
If that's all you're going on, couldn't that mean that he'll be playing for the Michigan football team? Just a thought.
December 8th, 2010 at 12:57 AM ^
as a 1st round pick in the MLS draft.
December 8th, 2010 at 12:35 AM ^
He'll be drafted. I'm not sure if he'll play for a full MLS squad right away.
December 7th, 2010 at 7:48 PM ^
Not that that isn't impressive, but a lot of kickers can make long field goals on an empty field and not in a game. I'm not saying Meram can't, but I saw a video of Gibbons doing something similar.
December 7th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^
wh-wh-wha?
December 7th, 2010 at 11:13 PM ^
he starts his approach much further from the ball on the 55 yd attempt, both laterally and in depth, though it's hard to tell for sure in depth because the earlier kicks don't clearly show how many steps back he takes. Don't know if most FG kickers do that for longer kicks. It certainly increases the time for potential kick blockers to penetrate.
December 8th, 2010 at 1:04 PM ^
I was expecting to hear the glass shatter behind the goal posts.
December 8th, 2010 at 8:26 AM ^
Going to burn another scholarship, wow.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:38 PM ^
Our kicking problems. Thanks for the update. Great news.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^
JHC, sign him NOW! Friggin 'LOFTUS'!!! I mean HELLO!
December 7th, 2010 at 5:56 PM ^
SO if you combined our last punter and our future kicker you get..............................
ZOLOFT!
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December 7th, 2010 at 6:50 PM ^
plucker for that one!
December 7th, 2010 at 7:00 PM ^
It's not quite up there with Bolivian, but it's damn close.
December 7th, 2010 at 7:48 PM ^
Sweet Serenity.
+1gazillion.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:51 PM ^
Congratulations... you made me spit up my martini. You win the internet today.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
We do in fact NEED to sign this dude just for the t-shirt possibilities alone (much less the fact we kind of need a kicker).
December 7th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
"Loftus up where we belong/ Where eagles fly/On a mountain high"
December 7th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^
He had me at hello.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:56 PM ^
Post that is.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:41 PM ^
A lot of kicking is mental. Gibbons was also a highly rated guy coming out a couple of years ago. We should definitely bring in a kicker in the class, but for his sake, I hope Gibbons overcome his mental blocks.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:45 PM ^
You beat me to it. If my memory serves me I think Gibbons was like the 3rd ranked kicker coming out of high school.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^
Yep, first team all-state in Florida
December 7th, 2010 at 6:55 PM ^
I remember when I was in 9th grade I was talking to the kicker for my high school team. I told him that it seemed to me that kicking was about 80% mental. He was quick to correct me: "No, it's 90%."
December 7th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^
Gibbons's issues are all technique. He calls them wide left or wide right when Gibbons lines up, and he's been right every time.
December 7th, 2010 at 10:59 PM ^
The "wormburner" doesn't stand much of a chance
December 7th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^
Brendan Gibbons was a very highly recruited All-American in high school. Just sayin'.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^
LOFTUS. We need lifting, the ball must be LOFTED. If he kicks it true with LOFT, he will please US.
December 7th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^
SHANKUS or PULLIAM
December 7th, 2010 at 5:59 PM ^
It amazes me that football coaches (both college and pro) don't seem to focus on special teams and special teams situations more. Maybe that's just my perception because it is so glaringly obvious when they screw up.
At this point, the more competition and options we have available for 2011, the better. Anyone have anything to offer as far as his interest in Michigan versus the other schools recruiting him?
Just looking at prestige and opportunity, it seems as though Michigan would be at the top of prestige and right up there with where Boise has been, visibility-wise (Brontzman incident aside). And relatively equal to what UNC can offer as far as education and college experience.
EDIT: any idea why my font size went crazy?
December 7th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^
You don't have enough points to buy the bigger fonts yet.
December 7th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^
I'd rather not waste a scholarship on a kicker when Gibbons has the talent hidden away somewhere in his head and we always have walk-on options that USUALLY pan out. We could also get a soccer player...Justin Meram is basically as good as pro soccer players, which is why he decided not to do football, but I'm sure someone on the team can kick a ball.
I'm not too hung up on this guy...mostly because he's a kicker and there are probably hundreds of other dudes who are just as good at placekicking.
December 7th, 2010 at 6:09 PM ^
That's the problem—the talent is in his head, not his leg.
December 8th, 2010 at 7:48 AM ^
But, have you seen our kicking game lately? Abysmal does not quite describe its horrific nature. The coaches need to do something about it and that something just got a scholarship offer. this is not a want for the class - it is a definite need worthy of a scholarship. Period.