The Kerry Coombs Effect: Michigan Football Lands Nation's Top Specialist

The Wolverines landed their first commitment in the 2028 class.

Ryan Jung's X Account

The Michigan Wolverines have had some of the best kickers kicking in the Big House in recent memory. Jake 'Money' Moody, James Turner, and Dominic Zvada were clutch kickers for the Wolverines, and with Kerry Coombs coming over as the special teams coordinator — Michigan appears set to land some more talented place kickers.

On Saturday, 2028 kicker Ryan Jung announced his commitment to the Maize and Blue. Jung's commitment marks Michigan's first pledge in the 2028 class.

Beyond blessed. GO BLUE!! @DB_CoachCoombs @Garrett__Alan @HKA_Tanalski @JamesWilhoit25 @CoachBenReaves pic.twitter.com/kymEBcL8Dr

— Ryan Jung (@RyanJung2028) June 20, 2026

Jung was at IMG Academy, but is transferring to play his junior season of football at Milton (GA) in 2026

Top-rated kicker in the country

Michigan has relied on its special teams for a long time, and if the Wolverines are going to continue winning close games behind strong special teams play, then they are going to need to recruit the best.

And that's what Michigan did here.

According to Kohl's Kicking, Jung is the top-rated kicker in the 2028 class.

Here is its scouting report on the top-rated kicker in the country:

"Jung had an impressive performance at the 2026 Kohl's Underclassman Challenge" Kohls wrote. "He impressed with his leg strength and his command of his ball striking. He scored 18 points in the field goal charting and was the finalist in the field goal competitions. He scored 108.95 in the kickoff charting as well. At the 2025 Kohl's Eastern Winter Showcase in Pittsburgh, Ryan Jung displayed impressive power and consistency that set him apart.

"He won the kickoff competition for underclassmen, earned a perfect 15 points on field goal charting, and added 106.2 points on kickoffs with a top kickoff of 68 yards and a hang time of 3.9 seconds. Jung demonstrated impressive leg strength and ball contact at the 2025 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp, scoring 27 points in field goal charting and achieving the top kickoff score for the 2028 class with another standout 68-yard kick."

Who's kicking in 2026?

With Dominic Zvada off to the NFL, Michigan needed to shore up its kicking game. The Wolverines landed Jacob Baggett in the 2026 class, and Michigan added a reliable leg to likely start in 2026.

Michigan went out and landed Pitt transfer Trey Butkowski, along with his long snapper, Nico Crawford.

As a true freshman, Butkowski won the job and made 20-of-23 kicks for the Pitt Panthers. All three of his misses came from 40 yards or out, and he was named to the Freshman All-American list from PFF.