Coming into the 2015, Harbaugh and staff had multiple positions to figure out and top players to replace, and punter was a main spot. After Will Hagerup and Matt Wile graduated, the roster featured only walk-on options. So, like every other spot, Harbaugh went the “free agency” route and added Weber State graduate transfer punter Blake O’Neill.
O’Neill hails from Australia which means Michigan finally has an Aussie-style punter(!!!). This is big for the Wolverines as they desperately needed a special teams ace that can affect field positioning every time, and O’Neill could be that guy.
Here are his Weber State stats, via MGoBlue:
“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.”
- Height: 6’2”
- Weight: 215lbs
- Hometown (School): Melbourne, Australia (Weber State)
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