April 26, 2026, 11:57 a.m. ET
When John Harbaugh took over the reins as the head coach of the New York Giants in January, one thing was for certain: The Giants’ days of special teams being a joke were over.
No longer will they be scrambling for a kicker on game days. In fact, they’ll likely have a deep stable of specialists in their orbit going forward.
This offseason, they inked veteran kicker Jason Sanders and cut ties with Graham Gano. Sanders joined Ben Sauls on the roster, and the two were to kick it out in training camp.
Add a third name to that competition: Dominic Zvada, who the team signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on Saturday.
Zvada is a phenom who set records for kicking 50-plus yard field goals at Ann Arbor.
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From the Michigan Wolverine website, Maize N Blue:
Zvada has reached both highs and lows in his two seasons in Ann Arbor. He transferred in ahead of the 2024 season after starting for Arkansas State his first two years. He had big shoes to fill, replacing Michigan kicking legend Jake Moody, who played a huge role in the Wolverines’ quest to win a National Championship.
Despite the pressure, Zvada was a record-breaking kicker as a junior. He won the Big Ten Kicker of the Year, converting 95.5 percent of his field goal attempts, including 7-of-7 50+ yards, both setting Michigan records. He was automatic when the Wolverines needed three points and was key in extending Michigan’s four-game win streak over Ohio State.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Zvada could have entered the NFL draft last season, but chose to stay another year in Michigan. His 2025 stats were nowhere near as impressive as his junior season of 2024, hence his availability in this year’s UDFA market.
Training camp should be fun, not just on special teams, but for all units. Harbaugh has raised the stakes at every position. All positions will have to be fought for and earned, and we know how near and dear he regards his special teams.
