Tag: Dominic Zvada

Michigan 30, Fresno State 10

Please consider helping out TTB by using this Amazon link (LINK).

PWO QB FTW. Well, it was a mild surprise when it was announced that former walk-on Davis Warren was named the starting quarterback for the season opener over Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle. Orji had received most of the hype in the off-season, and Tuttle is the most experienced. But Tuttle has been dealing with injuries and soreness, so he wasn’t really an option. Rumors started coming out a couple days before the game that Warren would be the guy. He finished 15/25 for 118 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception and graded out as Michigan’s #4 offensive player (69.7 on Pro Football Focus). Overall, I thought Warren was mostly accurate. He overthrew a deep shot to Tyler Morris, and he underthrew Fredrick Morris on an open post route that could have been a touchdown but turned into an interception. There were a lot of checkdowns and short throws, probably by design to make things easy for Warren in his first start. But overall, I thought Warren looked composed and accurate.

Hit the jump for more.

2024 Season Countdown: #10 Dominic Zvada

Name: Dominic Zvada
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Chandler (AZ) Valley Christian
Position: Kicker
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #96
Last year: Zvada played at Arkansas State. He was 17/22 on field goals and 41/41 on extra points.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan has had some solid kickers in recent years that made it to the NFL, including Quinn Nordin and Jake Moody. Last year they took a transfer in James Turner from Louisville, who made some key kicks down the stretch and might end up on an NFL roster this season. So despite having homegrown Adam Samaha and Mississippi State transfer Hudson Hollenbeck on the roster, Michigan took a swing for the fences again and landed Arkansas State’s starting kicker. Zvada was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist in 2022 as a freshman, and he was still pretty solid as a sophomore, converting all of his extra points and 17 out of 22 of his field goal attempts.

I don’t have a ton of confidence in Samaha, who has seemed a little shaky since arriving on campus. Michigan has a tough schedule in 2024 and might need some clutch kicks this season to either ensure victories or tie up some games late. Michigan was blowing out teams in 2023 on a weekly basis – except for Maryland, Ohio State, and Alabama – but that’s not always going to be the case this fall. Zvada has a chance to swing a couple games in Michigan’s favor this fall, so I think he will be a key player if Michigan is going to make a run for the College Football Playoff.

Prediction: Starting kicker

Dominic Zvada, Wolverine

For the second year in a row, Michigan has looked to the transfer portal to help shore up its kicking position. Last year Michigan landed James Turner from Louisville. This year they have possibly found their answer with Arkansas State transfer Dominic Zvada, who committed to the Wolverines.

Zvada is a 6’3″, 174 lb. junior who had started for the Red Wolves for the past two seasons. He was 17/18 on field goals (the lone miss was from 51 yards) as a freshman in 2022 and 30/31 on extra points (the lone miss was blocked). Then in 2023 he was 17/22 on field goals and 41/41 on extra points. His career long came as a freshman when he hit a 56-yarder.

Zvada was a Lou Groza Award finalist in 2022 (the year Michigan’s Jake Moody won the award) and was on the Lou Groza Award Watch List in 2023.

Arkansas State was Zvada’s only scholarship offer coming out of Chandler (AZ) Valley Christian in 2022.

The head coach of Arkansas State is former Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones.