Michigan senior kicker Dominic Zvada officially declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday evening, posting a statement via Instagram.
“I’m grateful for my time at both Michigan and Arkansas State and for the memories and relationships that will stay with me forever,” Zvada said in his statement. “Becoming a Michigan Man and everything it represents is the greatest honor of my life.”
Zvada transferred to the Wolverines ahead of the 2024 season after starting for Arkansas State his freshman and sophomore year.
In his junior year, Zvada was a record-breaking kicker. The Bakken-Andersen Big Ten Kicker of the Year converted 95.5% of his field goal attempts and was 7-for-7 on kicks over 50 yards, both setting Michigan records. He was essentially automatic when the Wolverines needed three points, and was key in extending Michigan’s four-game win streak over Ohio State.
Among the motivating factors in his decision to return after such a successful season was the Lou Groza Award, which recognizes the nation’s best kicker. As a junior,he was named a semifinalist for the award but did not win.
Zvada returned this past season, but didn’t quite live up to the near-perfect expectations he set after 2024. The senior kicker earned Walter Camp Preseason All-American honors, but converted just 17-of-25 field goals, several of those under 40 yards. He was 2-for-3 from 50-plus yards, and matched his career long of 56, but never reached last season’s consistency. Against Northwestern, he kicked the game-winning field goal.
Still, Mel Kiper projected Zvada as the third kicker off the board in his NFL Draft positional rankings. In a league where the value of a good kicker has consistently increased, Zvada could have a case to join a professional roster in April.
