G'Day Mate: Blake O'Neill
AUSSIE PUNTER ALERT [photo via Standard Examiner]
A move that's been rumored for a while is now official, as the football program announced the addition of Australian punter Blake O'Neill, a graduate transfer who played for Weber State in 2014.
"We are looking forward to having a player of Blake's level of maturity, background and skill set -- growing up playing Australian rules football -- in our program," said John Baxter, U-M's special teams coordinator. "Australian players have made a big impact on college football in the kicking game, like last year's Ray Guy Award winner, Tom Hackett from Utah. We are looking forward to the impact that Blake will have on our team and within our conference."
O'Neill finished sixth nationally (Football Championship Subdivision) in punting during the 2014 season at Weber State. He played in all 12 games and averaged 44.1 yards per punt, setting a single-season punting average record for the Wildcats.
O'Neill tallied 62 punts for 2,737 yards with a long of 74 yards. He boomed 18 punts of 50-plus yards and notched 25 boots inside the opposition's 20-yard line. O'Neill ran for a first down on a fake punt and tossed a completion for a first down on another fake.
O'Neill didn't play American football until 2014; prior to that he played Aussie Rules Football. First year or not, he put up some really impressive numbers.
Are you ready for some punting highlights? Because we've got punting highlights. (Also fake punting highlights, which is a very exciting development.)
O'Neill displays all the skills you'd ask for in a punter; he's got the Aussie-style directional/backspin kick down, he booms traditional punts, and he can pull off a fake. Most important of all, he's Australian, so we can only hope he can replicate the Brad Wing experience minus the totally BS celebration penalty.
We don't know the current pecking order at punter since Michigan didn't punt during the spring game, but I don't think O'Neill transferred here to sit on the bench; he's the new favorite to take over the starting job, with Kenny Allen representing his chief competition.
I spy insane thigh muscles, which can only mean one thing - long and high punts. Me likey.
but for likely different reasons..
Nice! Big fan of Parks & Rec AND Aubrey. Very underrated....
Dang, look at those hammies!
Can he share some of those hamstrings with Drake Harris?
This is awesome. How much eligibility does he have left? I don't see it.
I know usually it is one year for grad students. But I am hoping for more
It looks like he finished his BA in Australia in 3 years (based on his age). NCAA treats foreign students who've started university overseas as transfer students. So last year at Weber St would have been his RS-JR season, and this will be his RS-SR season.
40% of his punts downed inside the 20? Yes, please.
70+ Long? Are you kidding me??
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!!
OY OY OY!!!
If Michigan plays in the Outback Bowl, the opponent is so screwed.
Had TV on while I watched his HUDL, and an Outback commercial came on with that cheesy Aussie guy's voice. This is gonna be fun.
I seriously hope we get a better bowl next year than the Outback Bowl.
Scholarship numbers?
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Michigan is at 85 scholarships with the addition of O'Neill. No walk-on players will be receiving scholarships unless there is further attrition.
I've never been excited about a punter before. Those Aussie punts where he waits for the coverage guys to get downfield are awesome. The punt returner had no option but to fair catch.
At first I was thinking, "hurry kick the ball" but then realized why he was holding the ball. I guess that is the beauty of the spread formation. It gives time for you to do that kind of thing.
It's the 'Shield Formation' (not spread).
So amazing, so...casual. Like he's checking email on a smartphone while the coverage gets downfield.
Great get.....an extra bunch of yards from a long punt is huge. Good Job, Harbaugh/Baxter!!!
We are looking forward to having a player of Blake's level of maturity, background and skill set -- growing up playing Australian rules footballThat's a curious quote... do we expect to see the punter laying people out on special teams?
I'm married to an Australian woman.
Let me assure you that their reputation for toughness is well-earned.
I would expect him to try to drive his head through someone's skull if he gets a chance to make a tackle and then clap the guy on the back afterwards.
Jealous. Been to OZ twice. Generally, the women in that culture are awesome!
I just spent several minutes watching punting highlights. And it was awesome.
Those sky punts where he just hangs back flipping the ball in his hands until he launches it off the nose of the ball... So weird, so cool, so effective.
I've never felt such raw emotion while watching punting footage before. And I watch *a lot* of punting footage.
Those punting highlights were awesome.
Can't believe I just said that. Anyway, that's crazy to see 4 or 5 coverage guys just chilling out within 5 yards of the would-be returner by the time the ball arrives. Totally antithetical to what we've seen in Ann Arbor for the past decade or so.
I just watched punter highlights. What is happening with my life?
This should be a thing at Michigan Stadium next year.
It would be cool if the Big house did that during punts. Just like one side of the stadium does "go" and the other "blue"!
As someone who grew up playing soccer, picked up rugby in high school and immediately became all state kicker, then attended walk on try outs for Rich Rod and was called back to get a second look despite never playing a down of football in my life, I can tell you that kicking translates very easy accross sports. No worries about how "raw" he may be.
Also, he played American football last year.
Impressive
We need to have Harbaugh running a camp in Sydney and Melbourne this summer too.
Canberra? Perth?
And maybe rugby flyhalves are good too?
The possibilities are endless.
Remember that Russell Crowe and Lloyd are pals. Doesn't Crowe own a rugby club? Could be a pipeline in the making.
I'd like to see Harbaugh recruit some Samoans... look at Utah and BYU. Those kids can play ball.
If there will be a day when Michigan has a camp in Hawaii.
Especially since UH's AD is publicly mulling over eliminating football all together.
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