In 2007, Stanford instituted a specialists camp that featured some of the top
kickers and punters in the nation, including UCLA's Jeff Locke, Virginia's Jimmy Howell, current Stanford freshman Travis Golia, and USC snapper Chris Pousson. A
year later, Stanford once again hosted many of the nation's top specialists at
the annual Stanford Specialist Camp. While fans and recruiting analysts
understandably devote their attention to top camps that feature flashier and
bigger name prospects, Stanford hopes that its impressive specialists camp can
become a yearly staple on the Stanford recruiting calendar and carve out a niche
in the oft-overlooked but ever-important world of kickers, punters, and
snappers. The 2008 Stanford Specialists Camp hosted over 70 prospects, including
a number who made strong impressions.
Vince D'Amato from Lake Forest (Calif.) El Toro HS took home the award for
top senior kicker at the camp. While kicking off the ground, D'Amato put on an
impressive show of height and distance on all of his placekicks. Despite
inconsistent rotation on some of his kickoffs, he also showed that he could
consistently put a college kickoff into the end zone. D'Amato made 15 field
goals as a junior last season.
Jacob Dombrowski of Gaylord (Mich.) HS also had an impressive showing as a
place kicker while kicking off the ground. Dombrowski won the placekicking
competition in Stanford Stadium with multiple 55+ yard field goals. The winning
kick, which would have been good from 65 yards, resulted in an audible reaction
from the spectators scattered throughout the stands.
Mike Loftus from Anaheim (Calif.) Servite HS proved to be the best combo
kicker/punter at the camp, as he impressed while kicking off the ground,
punting, and kicking off. His younger brother, Connor Loftus, a member of the
2011 class, also looks like a kicker to keep an eye on in the future.
Sean Poole of Tallahassee (Fla.) Lawton Chiles HS earned the camp honor of
top punter. He showed college-level distance and hang time with his punts. More
impressive, however, was his consistency, which appeared noticeably better than
several of the other Division-I punting prospects at the camp.
Among the snappers, Robert Larivee of Chino Hills (Calif.) Ayala HS put on a
show. His snaps appeared to zip back at a pace and consistency that seemed to
catch the eye of the coaching staff. He also showed impressive ability in
agility and punt coverage drills.
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