Quinn Nordin may have taken control of Michigan’s kicking competition toward the end of 2019, but he’s going to win the job again in 2020.
That’s the message from Jay Harbaugh, the team’s new special teams coordinator, who told reporters on Friday that a competition will determine who will be the kicker in the fall.
Both Nordin, who will be a redshirt senior, and Jake Moody are set to return, giving the Wolverines two options.
“Quinn certainly took control last year,” Harbaugh said on a video conference call. “I think he finished with like nine makes in a row and tied a school long in the bowl game. So, he played awesome.”
But, Harbaugh points out, it’s a new season and every single job remains up for grabs, including the returners, snappers and, yes, punter.
“That’s part of what’s made our special teams culture what it is,” said Harbaugh, who took over as special teams coordinator in January following the departure of Chris Partridge. “There’s no handouts and everyone’s got to compete for everything and earn everything.
“That’s part of the reason we’ve ended up with the depth we have at those two spots.”
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Actually, Nordin, of Rockford, converted his final 10 field-goal attempts of the season. Among the highlights: a 49-yarder against Michigan State, a game in which he finished a perfect 3-for-3; a 45-yard field goal against Ohio State; and a sterling 3-for-3 game against Alabama in the Citrus Bowl, where he set the game record with a 57-yard field goal just before halftime.
The 57-yarder also tied a Michigan record.
“I wouldn’t trade any one of those guys,” Harbaugh said. “I think we have the best two kickers and the best two punters in the country. Thrilled about the way that room looks.
“If we were to change that now, and change our approach, it’d be kind of going against what got us here.”
Nordin and Moody spent much of the 2019 season alternating field-goal kicking duties. They were neck-and-neck in spring and fall camp, forcing the coaching staff to use both. Nordin began the season 0 for 3, while Moody, a junior from Northville, converted his first four attempts. But a lull from Moody — a stretch in which he missed three of his four attempts — opened the door for Nordin, whose streaky, strong leg has captivated Michigan fans going back to 2017.
Combined, Nordin and Moody were 16 of 22 on field-goal attempts last season, a 72.7 completion percentage that ranked Michigan 73rd nationally. Moody’s handled kick-off duties, solely, each of the last two seasons.
“We’ll compete our butts off — and we know that it’ll end up with a great guy who’s ready to play at a high level,” Harbaugh said. “And a backup who’s ready to have his name called.
“If it ends up being somewhere in between, for whatever reason, that’s a great thing too."
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