New Story Central Michigan punter Ron Coluzzi transferring to Iowa

[Blair Sanderson]

Link:
rvls.co/Coluzzi

Central Michigan punter/kicker Ron Coluzzi is transferring to Iowa. An Illinois native, the 5-foot-11, 182-pound Coluzzi will be walking on with the Hawkeyes as a graduate transfer with immediate eligibility for the 2016 season. Coluzzi, who visited Iowa City over the weekend, will arrive on campus in June.

"I took an official visit this past weekend and loved it," Caluzzi told HawkeyeReport.com. "The job is wide open and I'm excited to compete for it."

Iowa graduated their starters at both punter and kicker this past season. Coluzzi has worked at both positions during his career at Central Michigan, but focused mainly on punting and kickoff duties in recent years.

As a junior, he had 59 punts with an average of 39.1 yards and a long of 61. Kicking off, he averaged 60.5 yards with 21 touchbacks on 64 attempts this past season.



Iowa's 2016 walk-ons:

Joe Argo - 5-foot-11, 185-pound safety from Davenport, IA (Assumption)
Tristan Bohr - 6-foot-4, 208-pound linebacker from Cresco, IA (Crestwood)
Ron Coluzzi - 5-foot-11, 182-pound punter from Naperville, IL (CMU transfer)
Keith Duncan - 5-foot-11, 160-pound kicker from Matthews, NC (Weddington)
Dalles Jacobus - 6-foot-1, 255-pound defensive end from Cedar Rapids, IA (Kennedy)
Burke Prins - 6-foot-4, 260-pound offensive lineman from Hinton, IA (Hinton)
Caleb Shudak - 5-foot-8, 175-pound kicker from Council Bluffs, IA (Lewis Central)
Jackson Terry - 5-foot-11, 184-pound punter from Kansas City, MO (Rockhurst)

 

[HawksFan16]

4th punter/kicker walk on for this class...I'm liking it. Was starting to get really worried about those two positions. Hopefully we can create some nice competition

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

This makes sense. Now if Iowa figured out how to work a couple of key JC guys into positions of need every year, then they'd just about have all the recruiting bases covered. As long as the NCAA allows this grad transfer thing, Iowa should take advantage. Glad to see they finally are.

 

[David1979]

That is a really good get because now they don't have to rely on a true freshman punter to be good.

 

[twindman]

Why would you call it a really good get? He averaged under 40 yards a punt. I don't think that is good. All though that may be better than last years - 46 then 30 then 44 then 25, etc Consistency is nice, I guess.

 

[Ray Kinsella]

Hey the kid and I share alma maters, only in reverse. Got my undergrad at Iowa and master's at CMU.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Why would you call it a really good get? He averaged under 40 yards a punt. I don't think that is good. All though that may be better than last years - 46 then 30 then 44 then 25, etc Consistency is nice, I guess.

Maybe the coverage team sucked. That's a net average after return. It doesn't hurt to bring in some competition for the spot.

 

[hawksauce]

Why would you call it a really good get? He averaged under 40 yards a punt. I don't think that is good. All though that may be better than last years - 46 then 30 then 44 then 25, etc Consistency is nice, I guess.

Or his coach pulled an Old Kirk and punted from inside the 40 numerous times making his average crap. Never know. If KF wants him that's all I need to know.

 

[Drinkin Buddy]

Why would you call it a really good get? He averaged under 40 yards a punt. I don't think that is good. All though that may be better than last years - 46 then 30 then 44 then 25, etc Consistency is nice, I guess.

Coluzzi had the same # of punts that Kidd had last year (59), averaged one less yard per punt than Kidd, had 3 touchbacks to 4 for Kidd, 22 fair catches to 21 for Kidd, and had 20 inside the 20 vs. 25 inside the 20 for Kidd.

Not saying Kidd was the world's greatest punter, but he was more than serviceable.

I'll take it as opposed to the unknown that Iowa was heading into this spring/fall.

 

[Mantyhawk12]

I like rugby kickers.

 

[Douglas C. Neidermeyer]

What does his stepmom look like?

 

[Clifford C. Clavin]

If you watched pre-game warmups this year and watched the potential punting beyond Kidd (and Koehn), this year was a major concern. I think this is huge news, even if he turns out to simply being average.

 

[mazda1]

The kid is walking on. What's not to like? He's got some college reps and gives us another option. He had 21 touchbacks kicking off and he may help fill the kick off void. We will miss last years given touchbacks.

 

[Drinkin Buddy]

The kid is walking on. What's not to like? He's got some college reps and gives us another option. He had 21 touchbacks kicking off and he may help fill the kick off void. We will miss last years given touchbacks.

Agree. Marshall had 47 of 81 KOs end as touchbacks (58%). Coluzzi had 33% of his KOs end as touchbacks. That puts a ton of pressure on the Iowa KOR team that they hadn't experienced in 2015.

 

[TKingpin]

It is a 5th year senior with EXPERIENCE at punting during real, live NCAA football games. Allows our other guys 1 more year to really get thier technique down. Looks like Kidd version 2.0. I will take it!

 

[Blair Sanderson]

Maybe the coverage team sucked. That's a net average after return. It doesn't hurt to bring in some competition for the spot.

No, 39.1 yards is his average per punt.

If you want to look at net punting average, after the return, it would be 36.8.

 

[HerkyHopeful]

4th punter/kicker walk on for this class...I'm liking it. Was starting to get really worried about those two positions. Hopefully we can create some nice competition

I'm thrilled they've scaled back the scholarship to high school kids at the position. Maybe they learned their lesson from mossbrucker, mullings and kornbrath

 

[Herkmeister]

Hey the kid and I share alma maters, only in reverse. Got my undergrad at Iowa and master's at CMU.

Can't believe you could handle the Mt Pleasant night life!!!!

 

[Ray Kinsella]

Can't believe you could handle the Mt Pleasant night life!!!!

Nice. Too bad I never actually stepped foot on campus; did it all through their extended degree program.

 

[Herkmeister]

Nice. Too bad I never actually stepped foot on campus; did it all through their extended degree program.

So you never had Detroit Donuts?!!!

 

[Curt Furence]

Guys. I seem to remember another CMU to B1G transfer that ended up a first round draft pick and an all pro...

He's the next JJ Watt, whats not to like?

 

[thomasmulligan]

I'm thrilled they've scaled back the scholarship to high school kids at the position. Maybe they learned their lesson from mossbrucker, mullings and kornbrath

Do you actually know what Mossbrucker's % was on FG? Look it up.

 

[terrehawk]

Why would you call it a really good get? He averaged under 40 yards a punt. I don't think that is good. All though that may be better than last years - 46 then 30 then 44 then 25, etc Consistency is nice, I guess.

It cost Iowa nothing. No scholarship money. No spot on the roster

 

[HerkyHopeful]

Do you actually know what Mossbrucker's % was on FG? Look it up.

I don't need to know what his percentage was (though I'm sure it's high and your trying to make a point though the kid never attempted any long field goals). All I need to know is that he was beaten out by kickers who walked on multiple times in his career, including 2010 when he was the third string kicker behind Meyer and murray

 

[herbyhawk]

some of you worry to much about 2-3 kids out of 85 players on scholarship. as for his punting avg that can be affected by where he is punting from, if he is punting from the 50 and it ends up inside the 20 around the 15 that = a 35 yard punt. 45 @ the 10 = 35 yard punt.

to many get hung up on what a kid avg's without knowing where the punts are being kicked from or where they end up. now if he was kicking from his own 10 and all he could do was avg 39 yards then go and get a little excited or not depending on your expectations. not everybody can kick like Reggie Roby and even then Fry had a another punter to handle the punts inside the opponents 50. which let Roby keep those numbers.

 

[ichawk24]

Another quality guy on the roster. I'll take any 5 year walkon who started for a MAC school and has immediate eligibility. One and done.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

There is no downside. Getting a kid who is a versatile, at least serviceable punter/kicker with multiple seasons of D-1 game experience for free is really great. Win win. I love it, and I'm glad the young man will have the experience of representing the Hawkeyes.

 

[Rustys Dad]

I like the idea of having a veteran guy competing for the punting job...

Sidenote: I always find it a little creepy when fans (adults over 22) send tweets to recruits. Happy to have any kid talented enough to earn a shot in the Big 10 but i don't feel the need "welcome him to the Hawkeye family", etc... Especially when you see it's a guy my age (40s) ...

 

[twindman]

I could find no stats on whether the average punts listed were net or not. But I guess if he is basically free, then it doesn't cost much.

 

[Curt Furence]

No, 39.1 yards is his average per punt.

If you want to look at net punting average, after the return, it would be 36.8.

I could find no stats on whether the average punts listed were net or not. But I guess if he is basically free, then it doesn't cost much.

Blair said that is his avg not his net.

 

[Pepperman]

as for his punting avg that can be affected by where he is punting from, if he is punting from the 50 and it ends up inside the 20 around the 15 that = a 35 yard punt. 45 @ the 10 = 35 yard punt.

To continue with Kilroy's point, if he were to, say, punt the ball from the 40 and it ends up around the 5 yard line, that = a 35 yard punt.

Do you guys see how this works yet?

 

[johnnashhawk]

To continue with Kilroy's point, if he were to, say, punt the ball from the 40 and it ends up around the 5 yard line, that = a 35 yard punt.

Do you guys see how this works yet?

I'll always pull for the Chippewas. As long as Keno in their head basketball coach.

 

[Shafthawk]

To continue with Kilroy's point, if he were to, say, punt the ball from the 40 and it ends up around the 5 yard line, that = a 35 yard punt.

Do you guys see how this works yet?

I don't get it. In my example he punts from his own 30 and it ends up at the opponents 30. When I do the math it comes out to 0 yards. HELP!!!!